Tased in the Toy Aisle

Cell Phone Theft Results in Eight Charges

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

 CROCKETT – A cell phone theft landed a Crockett man in jail and resulted in eight charges being levied against the alleged thief.

Emmanuel Lejuan Griffin, 27, was arrested on Oct. 22 after he was observed breaking into the Crockett Walmart’s cellphone display case.

Griffin was charged with: assaulting a public servant; possession of a controlled substance, penalty group one; theft of property; two counts of possession of a controlled substance, penalty group three; evading arrest; possession of marijuana; and resisting arrest.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Crockett Police Department Corporal Todd Little was dispatched to the Crockett Walmart on Oct. 22 in reference to a male suspect breaking into the cell phone display cases.

When the CPD officer arrived at the location, he met with Walmart’s Loss Protection Manager David Ricicot who identified two suspects “… later identified as Emmanuel Griffin and Lane Pope. Ricicot said that he observed Griffin break into the iPhone display, took an iPhone and damaged an IPad. Ricicot believed that Griffin still had the phone in his pocket. Ricicot said that Pope was being the look out.”

The two suspects had not left the store, according to the affidavit, and Little made contact with the two suspects in the paint department. The police corporal asked the pair if they had stolen a cell phone and Griffin replied he had just seen a guy walking into the bathroom acting suspiciously.

“Griffin then started to walk away,” the affidavit reported. “I (Little) approached him and told him not to walk off. I told him to take his hands out of his pocket and put his hands behind his back. At this time, I grabbed onto his right arm and Griffin started to reach into his back pocket with his left hand. I grabbed onto his left arm to stop him.”

A struggle ensued and Little reported he heard something fall out of Griffin’s pocket and land on a shelf.

“Griffin then raised his head up and struck me in the mouth with his head. This caused me to have a busted upper lip and I started to bleed. Griffin then broke free and started to run away. I then chased after him and tased him in one of the toy aisles near the bicycles,” the report stated.

While Little was attempting to place hand restraints on Griffin “… Griffin was able to get up and broke free again. I then ran after him and tased him again as he ran into several people near the jewelry aisles,” the affidavit stated.

Little was able to subdue Griffin, with the help of several customers, and finally handcuffed, the affidavit reported.

“I then searched his pockets and located a small bag that contained methamphetamines, a steak knife and a screw driver. Griffin was escorted and checked out by EMS,” according to the affidavit.

Pope had made his way out of the store during the altercation but was located “… in the parking lot, sitting in the passenger seat of 2003 Pontiac.”

A probable cause search was executed on the vehicle and officers located “… a blue cloth bag that contained five small bags with meth residue, 12 bars of Alprazolam (Xanax) 2 mg, seven white round pills of Clonazepam (Klonopin) 2 mg and a small amount of marijuana.”

Pope was booked into custody on charges of: theft of property; possession of a controlled substance, penalty group one; and possession of marijuana.

Griffin is held at the Houston County Jail on a total bond of $103,000 while Pope is held on a total bond of $21,000.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].