Anitra Raspberry’s video has caused an uproar on Reddit. The footage, recorded outside a Walmart Supercenter in Big Rapids, Michigan, shows store personnel restraining a young Black man named Levi, whom witnesses and advocates say has special needs. The confrontation happened Aug. 21 outside the Walmart at 21400 Perry Avenue. Raspberry’s 87-second video was first posted on Facebook before making its way to Reddit’s r/BlackPeopleofReddit, where it has since picked up more than 15,000 upvotes. By the time Raspberry started filming, Levi was already on the pavement outside the grocery entrance with at least two male store representatives holding him down. One of them, a larger man in a gray striped polo shirt, appears to have most of his weight on Levi. Witness allege that he was mistaken for a shoplifter Levi is visibly distressed throughout the clip. He cries out, “Leave me alone!” and tells the people standing nearby, “They’re choking me!” Raspberry had been leaving the store with her daughter when she noticed what was happening. She began recording and, along with another bystander, confronted the employees. A woman wearing a pink shirt also stepped in, arguing that Levi had been trying to leave before the confrontation turned physical. At one point, she repeatedly asked the employees why they continued to “antagonize him” adding, “They know his situation.” One of the employees can be seen wearing a nametag that reads “DAN.” Witnesses identified him as a store coach. The circumstances leading up to the confrontation remain disputed. Witnesses allege that security had mistaken Levi for a shoplifter. People following the incident online also noted that no stolen merchandise was found on him, raising questions about whether security had targeted the wrong person in the first place. Once the employees released him, Levi got back on his feet. He then turned to Raspberry and thanked her for recording what had happened. He called her “my sweetheart” before hugging her several times. That moment was followed by another complication. Store employees allegedly called local police and claimed Levi had physically attacked them first. The question of how much force employees are allowed to use during a suspected shoplifting incident is likely to become important if the matter leads to legal action. Neck restraints and chokeholds, in particular, can raise serious legal questions when used during a detention. Excessive force or detaining someone because of a mistaken identity could also expose a retailer to claims involving false imprisonment, assault or intentional infliction of emotional distress. There was also a broader issue running through the reaction to the video. People in the discussion pointed out that communication difficulties or sensory overstimulation can sometimes look like defiance or aggression to someone who does not understand what they are seeing. That can turn an already difficult interaction into something much more dangerous. Raspberry said she works at a memory care facility and has experience with behavioral de-escalation. In her view, the Walmart employees were not using the sort of approach she believed could have prevented the confrontation from escalating. This Angel of a black woman saves a special needs person from Walmart security chokehold. by u/0The_Loner_Stoner0 in BlackPeopleofReddit Walmart’s corporate leadership is yet to acknowledge this situation That has also fueled criticism of Walmart’s accommodations for disabled customers. Critics in the comment section argued that designated accommodating hours mean little if employees are not adequately prepared to interact with disabled people at other times. According to EURweb, advocacy groups are now calling for the store’s surveillance footage to be reviewed and for Walmart’s corporate leadership to respond. Local authorities have not announced any criminal charges in connection with the incident.