Surveillance footage reportedly released by the North Olmsted Police Department captured the moment a woman lunged for an officer's gun while in custody for theft.
Fox-affiliate station WXIX reported that the incident occurred on Tuesday at a Walmart shopping center in North Olmsted, Ohio. Police responded at the scene at 2 p.m. after receiving a "theft complaint."
As it turned out, North Olmsted is a relatively safe city, according to Crimegrade.org.
"North Olmsted is in the 85th percentile for safety, meaning 15 percent of cities are safer and 85 percent of cities are more dangerous," said the website, adding that the overall rate of crime for the city is 14.80 per 1,000 residents.
The city's property crime rate sits at 9.04 per 1,000, with the crime rate for theft being 5.793 per 1,000 residents.
Upon arriving at the Walmart in North Olmsted, police identified Britney Bullington, 40, and Alexander Michalewicz, 44, as suspects.
Michalewicz was found to be in possession of a homemade "zip gun" and was taken to a patrol car, said Fox 8 News. Bullington, however, was held in the store's loss prevention center with an officer and two Walmart employees.
But here is where things went awry.
In the security footage obtained by WXIX, Bullington, whose hands were cuffed in front of her body after claiming to be pregnant, is seen standing against a wall watching the officer, who is "collecting evidence."
Suddenly, Bullington lunges at the officer in an attempt to grab his gun and both fall to the floor.
The Walmart employees flee as Bullington and the officer fight over the weapon. Bullington, who is still on the ground, kicks the officer repeatedly until a second officer busts into the room, allowing the first officer to stand up.
The video ends shortly after.
During the fight, one of the officers was "gouged in his face in multiple spots," said WXIX. As a result, he was later taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Both Bullington and Michalewicz were charged with robbery, with additional charges pending regarding a "significant amount of methamphetamine" found in the suspects' vehicle.
Newsweek reached out to the North Olmsted Police Department for comment.
In June, two Arizona women were arrested for allegedly stealing $100,000 worth of merchandise from several Walmart stores.
According to police, the women used a smartphone app that would bypass payments and allow the women to take merchandise without paying.
"By using the app, the suspects gave the appearance that they were paying for the items," police explained.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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