The Black Friday Wal-Mart trampling incident of security guard Jdimytai Damour has predictably led to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victim’s sister. Police indicate in this AP video (embed below) that they are still scanning the Wal-Mart security videos looking if they can find people in the crowd criminally responsible.

Geek sidenote: YouTube has started prominently pushing their search as 10% of the size of their video window placed at the top. It’s too bad they aren’t using some of that space to show me related videos.

I can’t be the only one impatient that six days have passed by and the police are still scanning security video? How long does it take to say "we scanned the video and we have suspects in our sights?" Get some CSI types to analyze that footage frame by frame and get the still pictures out America’s Most Wanted style so these people tramplers can be brought in and charged accordingly.

Where are these people anyway?

If you were in the front of the line of a crowd that went crazy when the doors opened what would you have done? Tried to help the security guards maintain order or rushed in for some stupid thing that will never come close to measure human life? A switch would have gone off in my brain that went quickly from personal satisfaction (getting a good deal) to preserving human life (helping) in a nanosecond. I know that there were some people helping, but where are these people who didn’t? Where are these people who mashed through, stomping this helpless security guard to death?

I’m all about getting a good deal but this horrible incident shows how scary big crowds can be. It’s one thing to be part of a big crowd at say a rock concert or peaceful demonstration but seeing this happen especially at a time when we’re supposed to be thinking about others is mind-boggling.

President of Wal-Mart Northeast Division Hank Mullany gave a statement that didn’t directly address the lawsuit or allegations made (emphasis mine):

"We consider Mr. Damour part of the Wal-Mart family, and are saddened by his death," Mullany said. "We have been in communication with members of his family to do what we can to help them through this difficult time. Our associates know that when incidents like this occur, we take care of our own."

If Wal-Mart takes care of its own then there should be no need to ever see this lawsuit end up in a courtroom.

While I have no idea if Mr. Damour’s sister was contacted and/or coerced into this by friends, other family members or lawyers sniffing an obvious lawsuit, I hope a fair settlement is provided that isn’t forced by the courts. Wal-Mart should give the family whatever they want as long as it isn’t something equally insane like hundreds of millions of dollars.

Did this post make you go hmm?

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