If you’ve ever gulped down a grape or two at your local grocer, or perhaps snuck a piece of candy at a corner store without paying, you might want to think twice about that behavior if you plan on shopping at Walmart.
One TikToker is claiming that she got popped for popping popcorn chicken into her mouth at Walmart without paying for it first and is warning others that “Walmart DO NOT play” when it comes to any kind of shoplifting.
TikToker Alexi (@alexi.marie) alleges that a bit of forgetfulness at Walmart got her picture put into the sore’s loss prevention system—and may have resulted in a narrow brush with the law during another recent trip to the popular retail chain.
The video, which Alexi posted to her TikTok account five days ago currently has 673,100 views and counting on the short-form video-sharing platform.
“Maybe like a year ago me and my boyfriend went to Walmart, and we bought like $600 worth of things,” she claims in the video. “While we were walking through Walmart we was munching on some popcorn chicken, right? And we just ended up like throwing the popcorn chicken in the trash or something.”
However, while Alexi says she forgot about the chicken by the time she and her boyfriend made it to checkout, she claims that Walmart security did not.
“When we were walking out of Walmart, the police, loss prevention, everybody was swarming us,” she states to her viewers. “I forgot that we even ate the popcorn chicken because, mind you, we were in there for like two hours.”
She claims that she and her boyfriend were taken back to the store and had their picture taken. She states that she was told, “‘This time it’s going to be a warning, but next time, clink clink, you’re getting locked up.'”
“I was like, ‘You won’t have to worry about me,'” she says in the video.
However, she says she returned to Walmart five days ago to buy a few items, including a new baby car seat, which she claims she placed in her shopping cart with the rest of her items. Alexi also claims that during checkout she was on the phone with a friend and not paying attention to the cashier.
She also states in the video that she expected the cashier to come around from the register to scan the baby seat in her cart. “I’m on the phone with my friend. I’m not paying attention if she rang the car seat or not.”
Alexi claims she paid for the items and was then told by the cashier that they had forgotten to scan the car seat. She claims she then had the cashier ring it up so that she could pay for the purchase.
Alexi then claims that a person behind her told her that it was a good thing she paid for the car seat because “I was just about to get you.” Alexi claims the man revealed a badge and told her he was a “Marshal.”
Alexi does not make it clear what, exactly, kind of “marshal’ the man was. U.S. Federal Marshals protect “the judiciary, [perform] court security, witness security, asset seizure and forfeiture, apprehension of fugitives, and prisoner transportation and custody.” None of their duties include loss prevention.
Some states do employ marshals but their duties mostly involve warrants and process serving.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Walmart to determine if they employ any kind of “marshal.”
@alexi.marie Walmart DO NOT play😭 #relatable #walmart #dontstealmyfood #fyp ♬ original sound – Alexi
“I just think it’s crazy that they have a marshal. Like isn’t that the people that kick down your doors when you’re on some Fed criminal charges,” Alexi asks her viewers.
One of them reacted in surprise, writing, “I don’t know if I’ve ever paid for popcorn chicken, I thought it was complimentary.”
Another agreed that Walmart is especially sensitive to suspected shoplifting commenting, “Girllllll I got summoned for BUBBLE GUM at Walmart!!”
Belsabet Steed (@belsabetx) wrote, “Girl I always eat popcorn chicken while shopping but I just scan the empty container.”
Walmart does indeed have a hardline when it comes to shoplifting. According to the Street, “Although anti-theft practices and policies can vary between stores, Walmart will often call the cops for shoplifting offenses. If you are caught shoplifting from a Walmart, a loss prevention officer may reasonably detain you at the store until the police arrive.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Alexi via TikTok messenger for further comment.
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