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squirm · Aug 7, 2008, 07:01 PM

Hi, the other day I was grocery shopping and my head was so preoccupied with things in life that I walked right out of the grocery store without even paying, like a bone head. I was apprehended by the store security. Right away, I was shocked and said "i am so sorry I will pay for the groceries right now. He refused me this option and the cops were called. As I did not have my ID with me naturally they required an alternative source to determine I was the person I claim to be. The officer ran a check and called my wife for id verification. He seemed as though he was not going to press charges until he heard back from dispatch. Once he heard back, he asked me to tell him the truth about my criminal history. I started listing parking/speeding/tickets anything I could think of. He then blurted out in a room full of people regarding a suicide attempt. Since when was a suicide a criminal act? In the end he did press charges and set me a court date and finger printing. Does anyone know if they are allowed to do that even though I admitted my error and offered to pay? Or know why he seemed willing to let me go until he heard of a past suicide attempt?

Please note I am Canadian

Any help or advice would be great. Thanks

Fr_Chuck · Aug 7, 2008, 07:14 PM

At least in the US suicide is a crime.

N0help4u · Aug 7, 2008, 07:19 PM

Yes they can charge you because anybody can claim they 'were going to pay' once they get caught so how can they take your word over others that actually did mean to shoplift.
I knew a girl that used to accidentally on purpose shoplift all the time. She would have papers on the bottom of the cart and cans of coffee and bags of diapers on the bottom rack and if they happened to catch it she acted like she forgot they were down there.

Also yes suicide can be considered a crime in some states Illinois and Oregon are two that it is not. Most often they just order you to go for psychiatric evaluation and suicide watch. Some states classify attempted suicide as a criminal act, but prosecutions are rare.

JudyKayTee · Aug 8, 2008, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by squirm

Hi, the other day i was grocery shopping and my head was so preoccupied with things in life that I walked right out of the grocery store without even paying, like a bone head. I was apprehended by the store security. Right away, i was shocked and said "i am so sorry i will pay for the groceries right now. He refused me this option and the cops were called. As i did not have my ID with me naturally they required an alternative source to determine I was the person i claim to be. The officer ran a check and called my wife for id verification. He seemed as though he was not going to press charges until he heard back from dispatch. Once he heard back, he asked me to tell him the truth about my criminal history. I started listing parking/speeding/tickets anything i could think of. He then blurted out in a room full of people regarding a suicide attempt. Since when was a suicide a criminal act? In the end he did press charges and set me a court date and finger printing. Does anyone know if they are allowed to do that even though i admitted my error and offered to pay? or know why he seemed willing to let me go until he heard of a past suicide attempt?

Please note I am Canadian

Any help or advice would be great. Thanks

Yes, as far as I know attempted suicide is a criminal act - it is, of course, attempted murder. I don't know that anyone actually prosecutes anyone but I have seen it on background checks as a criminal charge, not a health issue.

Yes, once you take merchandise without paying for it you can be charged even though you offer to pay for the merchandise. Otherwise there would be no incentive to pay - people could just walk out and pay only if they got caught.

Maybe he was willing to let you go before he heard of the suicide attempt and maybe he wasn't - how he "seemed" really isn't legal proof of anything. Only the security guard knows his mindset - perhaps he "seemed" to be willing to let you go in an effort to get you to cooperate.

I own a store - how do you forget to pay and just walk out, past the registers? I hear this with shoplifters on a fairly frequent basis and, quite honestly, I don't understand how this can happen.

Fr_Chuck · Aug 8, 2008, 05:23 AM

The reason it is a crime is that they can use it to force you into treatment and detain you into a facility for your own good.

But aside from that, yes if you walk out of a store without paying, they can arrest you

squirm · Aug 29, 2008, 04:55 PM

Actually with further research into the situation as well as lawyer consultation, suicide is not a criminal act in canada and has not been since the late 1960's nor is it a criminal act in most states.

Apologisenow · Aug 29, 2008, 05:01 PM

I'm afraid to say, accident or not this is considered stealing and yes, anybody can say that they will pay for the items just to get out of trouble. Sorry.

JudyKayTee · Aug 29, 2008, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by squirm

Actually with further research into the situation as well as lawyer consultation, suicide is not a criminal act in canada and has not been since the late 1960's nor is it a criminal act in most states.

Your post doesn't indicate you told him - how did the Police Officer know of your suicide attempt?

squirm · Sep 24, 2008, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by JudyKayTee

Your post doesn't indicate you told him - how did the Police Officer know of your suicide attempt?

The Police Officer knew this the same way he would know if I had an outstanding speeding ticket. Anytime the police are called to a scene there is a record in their database, however it is not criminal. He chose to pull this one out as a tool for identity as apposed to asking me to recollect a traffic offence. Some would say he did it because it is a distinguishing way to identify me I say he did it because he's an uneducated . However my mistakes were still my own and I am responsible for them, I would never try to use that as a wild card in court. Yet if I saw the man in person I would not mind kicking him in the gonads preferably with words of insight instead of my foot. Sorry if I seem overly passionate, I lost my father to suicide hence the "attempt" I did not actually want to die, I was just looking for answers. Suicide survivors are often very alone because the support network that you would normally have does not know how to react and suicide can often be perceived as a selfish act. I do not think suicide should be pitied but I do think it needs to be understood. Most people would rather write each other off before actually lending a hand, and I think that is why we loose some of our best. The nicer you are the more you're taken for granted. But this is a criminal law help desk so I need to stop there. I hope I answered your question. Sorry for the frills

Lowtax4eva · Sep 24, 2008, 01:42 PM

I always thought attempted suicide was a crime cause your making emergency services respond to your situation when they could be out saving people that want to be alive...

Anyway as said mistake or not there is nothing to be done about the shoplifting part now, maybe you can settle and just pay a fine. I doubt they would have just let you go if you had never had a suicide attempt charge.