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Special needs Meijer employee, arrested for ‘stealing’ food, finds support online
American supermarket chain Meijer is facing boycott calls after a 19-year-old autistic employee was arrested for stealing food
American supermarket chain Meijer is facing boycott calls after a 19-year-old autistic employee was arrested for stealing food. Recently released bodycam footage shows the moment James Denison was confronted for having ‘stolen’ $110 worth of fruit cups and chicken over three months.
The arrest took place at the Seven Hills, Ohio, Meijer location on March 7, 2024, according to a report in The New York Post. The bodycam footage, which has gone viral online, shows James being confronted by a cop inside the manager’s room.
HT.com has reached out to Meijer for a statement. This copy will be updated on receiving a response.
The arrest at Meijer
The video shows the store manager accusing the 19-year-old special needs employee of petty theft. “We have James here. He works in our deli department and we found out that he’s just been taking some, like, orders of chicken and fruit cups and stuff like that,” the manager was seen saying in the video.
James said that the ‘theft’ was shift lunches which he forgot to repay. The employee was searched and handcuffed by the police. He was taken to the local precinct and booked for minor theft. The teen was fingerprinted and released without bond.
Although the arrest took place last year, the bodycam footage, released recently, has led to backlash against Meijer. The footage has gone viral with over 20 million views on X, where hundreds of people called on the Midwestern supermarket chain to do better.
“Meijer could have spoken with him after the first incident, but instead decided it was better to let him continue doing it until he met some sort of quota,” wrote one X user.
“I’m also reading other sources that say he was eating EXPIRED food they had to throw out anyway,” another added.
“You fire him, dock his last paycheck, give him a bad reference and perp walk him out of the store to warn other employees. But you can't wait until his debt hits $100 & have him arrested. Fire the supervisor & issue public apology, Meijer,” a user said.
