Gun Scare At Wal-Mart Office Turns Out To Be Umbrella
Last updated Thursday, May 26, 2005 10:22 PM CDT in News
By The Morning News
BENTONVILLE -- A gun scare emptying a Wal-Mart office building turned out to be a false alarm after police and security determined that the "gun" was a long umbrella.
Bentonville police officers responded at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday to the Sam Walton Development Center after receiving a call about a man walking into the offices near Arkansas 102 with a long gun.
While employees evacuated, police and Wal-Mart security watched security footage and determined that the gun looked like a long umbrella.
Wal-Mart security found the man who walked into the building and he showed them the long umbrella, Police Chief James Allen said.
Despite the "mistaken identity," Allen said he is glad the woman called for help.
"She saw something and did the appropriate thing," he said.
The long umbrella was held outward because the man was also carrying coffee, Allen said. From 20 feet away, the umbrella could have looked like a shotgun, he said.
The Sam Walton Development Center is used as a training area for company employees as well as housing the real estate division, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Sharon Weber said.
"The situation was quickly resolved. There were no injuries to associates," Weber said.
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