Terrifying body camera footage captured the moment a brazen shoplifter tried to shoot a police officer at point-blank range inside an Ohio Walmart.
Police said that the culprit was only stopped from carrying out the heinous shooting because his weapon appeared to malfunction.
Trouble arose when Shane Newman, 21, and Katarina Jeffrey, 23, were allegedly caught trying to steal from a Walmart located in Canton on Thursday afternoon.
Walmart’s security called the police on the culprits as they tried to leave the premises with the items that they allegedly did not pay for.
When the responding cop arrived, Newman and Jeffrey were taken to the store’s loss prevention office – where the situation took a heart-stopping turn.
According to the video from the shocking ordeal, the encounter began calmly.
When a cop asked Newman if he had anything on him that law enforcement should know about, the alleged attempted shooter said he only had a cellphone.
Newman then voluntarily handed over a container of illegal drugs, Fox 8 reported.
As captured by the body camera, which had been placed on a table inside the office, Jeffrey asked if they were going to go to jail.
Shane Newman was allegedly captured on body camera footage pulling out a gun – which apparently malfunctioned – as Katarina Jeffrey sat beside him on Thursday
Shane Newman had a warrant out for his arrest at the time of the incident and was considered ‘armed and dangerous’
Katarina Jeffrey was also arrested because police allegedly found roads of ammunition on her
‘Not unless something crazy happens,’ the officer replied.
Newman and Jeffrey were seen sitting on a couch, with Newman telling an employee: ‘I told her not to steal.’
‘You did it too,’ a woman off camera snapped back. ‘She watched you walk over and put an item in the bag off the shelf.’
After a few quiet moments, Newman slowly reached into his backpack before abruptly pulling out a gun and pointing it at the police officer, who was standing just steps away.
‘No, no, no, no, no ,no!’ Jeffrey screamed as the chaos erupted.
As the cop yelled, ‘Hey!’ the store security guard lunged at Newman, managing to pry the weapon from his hands as the police officer flashed a gun of his own at the firearm-wielding suspect.
Jeffrey appeared to run to the other side of the office as the police officer and store workers tackled Newman to put him in cuffs.
Fortunately, no bullets were fired – although the cop said Newman had tried.
Retelling the event to his commanding officer, the cop said that Newman ‘pulls the gun out, points it at my head and pulls the trigger. It doesn’t go off.’
He later told Walmart supervisors that just moments before the deadly weapon was drawn, he discovered that Newman had an active warrant for his arrest and was considered ‘armed and dangerous,’ as per Fox 8.
The responding deputy said that he would have fired his own weapon, but was afraid he would strike the Walmart employee in doing so. He also admitted that he completely missed the gun when he searched Newman.
Newman faces charges including attempted murder, felonious assault on a peace officer, robbery and aggravated possession of drugs.
A heroic store security guard jumped into action to disarm Newman as the police office pulled out his gun
The terrifying ordeal occurred at a Walmart in Canton, Ohio
Authorities said that due to his previous criminal history, he is also charged with having weapons under disability.
He is being held in the Stark County jail on a $1 million bond.
Jeffrey allegedly had two 9mm rounds on her, according to police. She was charged with complicity to commit robbery and having weapons under disability for possession of the ammunition.
‘This incident is a reminder of the ever-present threat of violence against police officers and the gracious provision of God’s protection,’ Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said in a statement on Friday.
‘Thank you to all of you who regularly pray with me for our officers and our community.’
A Walmart spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Daily Mail: ‘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.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Canton Police Department for comment and more information on Newman’s criminal history.
