ZANESVILLE — A Roseville auxiliary police officer was charged with petty theft after a Tuesday incident at Walmart on Maple Avenue.
James Carroll, 66, of Roseville, pleaded not guilty to the charge Thursday morning in Zanesville Municipal Court. Petty theft — theft of property or services valued at less than $1,000 — is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable by up to six months in jail.
According to the police report, Carroll was cooperative with security officials when they confronted him about the alleged shoplifting offense.Carroll spoke with the Times Recorder about the incident, and he said it was never his intention to leave the store without paying. He said he was simply trying to avoid traffic within the store when he left the Subway restaurant and weaved his cart around a recycling container near the exit.
“I was under the impression that, if you walked out of the store with something, you are shoplifting,” Carroll said. “I never left. I didn’t even come close to the door.”
Roseville Police Chief Jeff Slack said Carroll has been an auxiliary officer since 1979. Slack said auxiliaries used to be paid but aren’t anymore. There are no discipline-related incidents in Carroll’s personnel file, and Slack said he has “never had any problems from James.”
Carroll said the reason the items in question already were bagged was because he recycles the plastic.
“I carry the plastic bags with me into the store,” Carroll said. “I’ve done that for two to three years. ... I put one of the items in a plastic bag, and that’s what made the security people think I was stealing.”
The 34-year-veteran officer said his second mistake was turning left instead of right as he exited the Subway inside Walmart. Carroll said he had left his cart outside Subway while he went inside to get a sandwich. When he exited, he said he was trying to avoid a cluster of people in front of the Subway entrance, so he “weaved around the receptacle.” That’s when a Walmart security guard asked to speak with him.
“They told me I had passed a particular point where it was now considering shoplifting,” Carroll said. “I was never going to leave with those items.”
Carroll said the items in question were as follows: two boxes of Keurig coffee, a can of baked beans and “some CDs.” Police could not confirm.
The Roseville Police Department has placed Carroll on administrative leave until his case is cleared. Carroll’s trial has been set for Jan. 8 in Zanesville Municipal Court.
poneill@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com
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