An alleged shoplifter fought with police Monday after trying to steal a television from a Target in Atlanta, Georgia.
Officers were called to the store on Caroline Street that evening regarding a report about an alleged thief who took one of the devices and apparently went back inside to grab another one, Fox 5 Atlanta reported Wednesday.
Video footage shows an officer approach the suspect, who is trying to leave with the allegedly stolen television in a red shopping cart, according to the clip from Atlanta Police that Atlanta News First posted:
When the man, wearing a white shirt and tan pants, sees the officer, he turns and runs back into the store. However, he swerves around to exit through the front doors as the officer pursues him.
The officer catches him, but the suspect begins fighting. As the two struggle on the ground, the suspect tells the officer, “I don’t wanna go to fucking jail!”
The clip also shows the pair struggling in the parking lot from what appears to be a dash camera as bystanders watch.
“The suspect fought for several minutes until additional officers arrived and assisted taking him into custody. An ambulance was requested to treat his scrapes and bruises,” the police department said in the video, adding he was charged with felony shoplifting and felony obstruction.
The officer involved in the altercation suffered minor injuries.
“This is another example of how quickly things can change for our officers and how important it is our officers are prepared for anything they might encounter,” the law enforcement agency said.
Big stores such as Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have closed down some locations across the nation because of an increase in thefts, Breitbart News reported in April.
WATCH — CAUGHT ON CAM: Mob Raids TN Walmart, Stealing Almost $8K of Merchandise
Memphis Police DepartmentAccording to the outlet’s John Nolte, leftist cities and states have made the crime almost legal because suspects are allowed to get away without facing many consequences.
“The problem is that shoplifting has been all but decriminalized, and these retailers are losing, as you read above, tens of millions of dollars,” he wrote.
In May, Target Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell said the company would endure approximately $500 million in lost profits this year, with one reason being theft, according to Breitbart News.
He said, “Left unchecked, organized retail crime degrades the communities we call home.”
