CANTON, Ohio — An accused shoplifter tried to shoot a Canton Police officer Thursday inside Walmart, but the gun didn't fire, police said.
It happened around 2 p.m. at the Walmart on Atlantic Boulevard.
Canton police said a man, identified as 21-year-old Shane C.L. Newman, and a woman were being taken into custody inside the store's loss prevention office when the man pulled out a handgun and tried to shoot the Canton officer who was working an off-duty job.
The gun failed to fire.
Body cam revealed what happened before, during and after.
In the office, the officer did a partial search of Newman.
"You got anything on you I need to know about? Why is your hands in your pockets?" the officer asked Newman.
"Just my phone," Newman said.
"I'm gonna pat you down real quick, alright?" Newman said.
"That's cool," Newman said.
"Nothing on you that's gonna poke me, stab me?" the officer asked.
The officer removed his body camera and placed it on a desk facing the suspects and started doing some work on the computer.
Five minutes later, the body-cam captured a potentially deadly scene:
In the video, the suspect turns away from the camera for a moment and appears to rummage through a bag or his coat. When the man turns back around, he is holding a gun, which he immediately points at the officer. When he drops the gun back down to try to rack the slide on the weapon, a Walmart employee tackles him and tries to grab the weapon, police said.
The video shows the officer draw his sidearm, point it at the suspect and then knee him in the chest. The officer then holsters his weapon, punches the man twice and wrestles him to the ground. Two Walmart employees help the officer subdue the man.
The officer and the Walmart loss prevention employee were able to handcuff the man after a brief struggle.
Later in the video, the officer can be heard talking about the incident with other officers, one of whom calls it attempted murder.
The officer responds, "Oh, he woulda got me."
Newman is a convicted felon who spent time in prison in 2023 on drug charges. Now, he has been charged with attempting to commit murder, felonious assault on a peace officer, robbery, aggravated possession of drugs, and having weapons under disability.
The woman was charged with complicity to commit robbery.
News 5 asked Canton Police Capt. John Bosley what went through his mind when he watched the video.
"My heart dropped into my stomach," Bosley said.
Bosley said the actions of both the officer and the loss prevention specialist prevented a possible tragedy, and he credits the officer for not using deadly force in a stressful and terrifying situation.
"I believe with the loss prevention officer right there in the line of fire, the best option at that point was hands on," Bosley said.
The captain said the officer is now on paid leave to help him process what he went through.
"And we'll see what (the officer) needs going forward, but he knows how blessed he was to have come out of this uninjured," Bosley said.
Canton's police chief released the following statement:
"This incident is a reminder of the ever-present threat of violence against police officers and the gracious provision of God's protection. Thank you to all of you who regularly pray with me for our officers and our community," Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said.
Walmart released a statement praising the brave action of the employee who came to the officer's aid.
“The safety and security of our customers and associates is always a top priority. We’re proud of the brave action our asset protection associate took to maintain the safety of everyone in our store. We'll continue to work with police as they investigate.”
Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to contact the Canton Police Communications Center at 330-649-5800 or the Canton Police Detective Bureau at 330-489-3144.
