NJ Man Punches Out Walmart Employee During Self Checkout Confrontation, Authorities Say

VINELAND, NJ — A 50-year-old man from Vineland was sentenced to time in State Prison after he assaulted an employee at Walmart and left him with a brain bleed.

Shawn C. Thomas was sentenced on Monday to seven years in New Jersey State Prison after he pleaded guilty to second-degree aggravated assault, the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office said.

His jail term is subject to the No Early Release Act.

Under this requirement, Thomas must serve 85 percent of the sentence before being eligible for parole, along with three years of parole supervision after release.

On July 28, 2023, officers with the Vineland Police Department reported to the Walmart at 1070 West Landis Ave. for a report of an employee who was assaulted by a customer and left unconscious.

Surveillance footage provided by Walmart loss prevention officers showed police that Thomas went through the self-checkout line without paying for all of the items in his cart.

When a man who worked there approached him, Thomas hit him once and left the store, authorities said.

The employee was left unconscious on the floor and sustained serious injuries that included a brain bleed and concussion.

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