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Wal-Mart pays estate of man who killed self
Josey1
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Wal-Mart pays estate of man who killed self
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WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) -- Wal-Mart has agreed to pay $130,000 to the estate of a Wilmington man who killed himself with bullets he bought at the store in July.
On July 31, Matthew John VanGraafeiland, 22, threatened to go to Wal-Mart to buy ammunition to commit suicide.
While the circumstances surrounding the incident were not released, a police official said at the time that the man had argued with his estranged wife.
The suicide threat was conveyed to police who notified the 911 center, which in turn alerted both New Hanover County Wal-Mart stores to be on the lookout for a distraught VanGraafeiland, said David Collins, the attorney for the estate.
An employee at one store did not get the warning and sold VanGraafeiland ammunition for a handgun.
VanGraafeiland left the store and barricaded himself in a car with a handgun. Wilmington police were unable to talk VanGraafeiland out of the car before officers heard a shot, according to the police report. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The lawsuit, filed in New Hanover County District Court earlier this year, accused Wal-Mart of negligence for selling ammunition to VanGraafeiland and for failing to supervise its employees.
Wal-Mart denied the allegations and settled the lawsuit out of court.
"They wanted to do what was right in this case," Collins said. "Even though they were not legally bound to pay anything. Wal-Mart was a good corporate citizen."
Most of the $130,000 settlement will ultimately go to VanGraafeiland's 3-year-old son. http://24hour.newsobserver.com/nc24hour/ncnews/story/1344558p-1381472c.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
STORY TOOLS
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send this story to a friend
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get news, weather, movies on your PDA
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) -- Wal-Mart has agreed to pay $130,000 to the estate of a Wilmington man who killed himself with bullets he bought at the store in July.
On July 31, Matthew John VanGraafeiland, 22, threatened to go to Wal-Mart to buy ammunition to commit suicide.
While the circumstances surrounding the incident were not released, a police official said at the time that the man had argued with his estranged wife.
The suicide threat was conveyed to police who notified the 911 center, which in turn alerted both New Hanover County Wal-Mart stores to be on the lookout for a distraught VanGraafeiland, said David Collins, the attorney for the estate.
An employee at one store did not get the warning and sold VanGraafeiland ammunition for a handgun.
VanGraafeiland left the store and barricaded himself in a car with a handgun. Wilmington police were unable to talk VanGraafeiland out of the car before officers heard a shot, according to the police report. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The lawsuit, filed in New Hanover County District Court earlier this year, accused Wal-Mart of negligence for selling ammunition to VanGraafeiland and for failing to supervise its employees.
Wal-Mart denied the allegations and settled the lawsuit out of court.
"They wanted to do what was right in this case," Collins said. "Even though they were not legally bound to pay anything. Wal-Mart was a good corporate citizen."
Most of the $130,000 settlement will ultimately go to VanGraafeiland's 3-year-old son. http://24hour.newsobserver.com/nc24hour/ncnews/story/1344558p-1381472c.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Comments
Besides, I'm sure Wal-Mart had NO hand in the decision to settle. Their insurance company made that choice.
-Charlie
"It's the stuff dreams are made of Angel"NRA Certified Firearms InstructorMember: GOA, RKBA, NJSPBA, NJ area rep for the 2ndAMPD. njretcop@copmail.com
Time to shut down the Lawyer assemble line or make the admissions standards higher. JMHO...
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