Our client Frances Abagnale resides in Albany, Georgia. On a visit to her local R-Mart, Abagnale was accused of shoplifting and detained in the backroom of the store behind closed doors for about nine minutes. She would like to know if she has any legal action against R-Mart for the nine minute detainment and embarrassment that she suffered.
Sometime during the week of September 28th, 2015 Abagnale went to her local R-Mart. At the local R-Mart, Abagnale wandered aimlessly up and down the adjacent snack and soda aisles. Abagnale’s demeanor attracted the attention of the manager, Carl Hanratty, who radioed the security guard, John Nottingham, to request he keep an eye on Abagnale. While in the snack aisle, Abagnale uncapped a soda bottle that…show more content… When Abagnale refused he snatched her back-pack and dropped its contents on the floor, including the soda bottle. Upon seeing the soda bottle, he ordered Abagnale to go to the backroom with him. Abagnale said “No!” It was then that the security guard grabbed Abagnale’s arm in front of five or six customers and forcibly escorted her to the backroom. Although she had no physical bruises, she felt humiliated and embarrassed.
Once in the backroom behind closed doors the manager and security guard looked at Abagnale with disgust and judgment. Although she made attempts to clarify that she had brought the soda bottle from her car, no one would listen. Instead, the security guard would stare at her, put his fingers in his ears, and laugh. The manager responded by saying “every time we catch a shoplifter they say something like that.”
A few minutes later, the manager stepped out of the backroom and went to review the security cameras. When the manager returned he asked the security guard to step into the hallway. After about a minute, the security guard came into the room and told Abagnale she was released; she received no explanation. When she was getting ready to leave, her soda bottle fell from her back-pack and the security guard smirked “cheater’s
