Did Something Very Stupid, Almost Got in Huge Trouble. Will It Go Further

My question involves criminal law for the state of: NOT SAYING

Ok I got drunk and rode a bicycle out of Walmart with 2 friends. On the way out, 3 normally dressed guys chased after us yelling at us to stop. We were not even going to steal the bike, we were just playing around. We stopped half way across the parking lot because my friend hit a car with his bike and busted his head. The guys caught us and said they were calling the police and that we must follow him back into the store. These seemed just like normal guys and they were grabbing us and stuff so long story short, we fought a little bit and got away. They started the fight, one of them grabbed me completely and was very aggressive. I'm afraid that these may have been undercover cops or Walmart loss prevention or something.

Anways, we ditched the bikes and ran. The cops actually showed up right when we got out of the parking lot, and actually chased us into the woods a little but we got away with no physical contact from the cops. We really didn't mean any harm by this, but I'm worried that cameras or something would have seen us.



So do you think something like this will be pursued?

It's possible. I'd definitely stay out of the Wal*Mart for a good long time. If they spot you again, they can call the cops on you and you will be charged and you most likely WILL BE convicted. Your idea of a prank can be a felony in the state of "NOT SAYING".

Further than this, since you can't follow the rules of this board any more than you can obey the law, we can not help you.

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Quoting Hofbrau

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My question involves criminal law for the state of: NOT SAYING

Ok I got drunk and rode a bicycle out of Walmart with 2 friends. On the way out, 3 normally dressed guys chased after us yelling at us to stop. We were not even going to steal the bike, we were just playing around. We stopped half way across the parking lot because my friend hit a car with his bike and busted his head. The guys caught us and said they were calling the police and that we must follow him back into the store. These seemed just like normal guys and they were grabbing us and stuff so long story short, we fought a little bit and got away. They started the fight, one of them grabbed me completely and was very aggressive. I'm afraid that these may have been undercover cops or Walmart loss prevention or something.

Anways, we ditched the bikes and ran. The cops actually showed up right when we got out of the parking lot, and actually chased us into the woods a little but we got away with no physical contact from the cops. We really didn't mean any harm by this, but I'm worried that cameras or something would have seen us.



So do you think something like this will be pursued?

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It very well could be. As Ron said, you need to stay completely away from Walmart for a VERY long time (like years). You also need to get your head out of your backside and realize that if you leave a store without paying for something, you have STOLEN something. It doesn't matter if you intend to leave it in the parking lot, you still STOLE it.

Heck, even riding the darn thing within the store was probably a crime of some sort. It certainly put the customers at risk.

In my state this would have been theft. If you were physically resisting and trying to get away with the bikes, that would be robbery (a violent felony).

This was dumb, dumb, dumb. Your so-called "prank" could have sent you to prison! I'm guessing you and your friends are somewhere between 16 and 20?

Yes we are 18. I'm starting to feel guilt about all of this, how much we hurt the men chasing us, etc...

Just so I know how lucky I am (if I did get away), what sort of punishment would my friends and I have gotten? I'd also like to know this because we've always done stupid stuff like this, I'd just like to realize how lucky we've been and stop now.

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Quoting Hofbrau

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Yes we are 18. I'm starting to feel guilt about all of this, how much we hurt the men chasing us, etc...

Just so I know how lucky I am (if I did get away), what sort of punishment would my friends and I have gotten? I'd also like to know this because we've always done stupid stuff like this, I'd just like to realize how lucky we've been and stop now.

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You possibly could have had jail time and you certainly would have paid some hefty fines, even with jail time.

Since you did not indicate the state you were in, no one can possibly tell you what the penalties might have been. Suffice it to say that you likely faced AT LEAST up to 6 months in jail and lots of fines and two or more years of probation. Not to mention the fact that with a conviction for a crime of moral turpitude, any future career in which your honesty might be an issue might well be closed to you.

Time to grow up before your fun becomes life altering.

I doubt their LP just jumped you without identifying themselves, you were just too damn drunk to realize/care. They also weren't starting a fight, they were trying to detain you which is their legal right. Since the police actually were involved, this WILL be pursued. You committed multiple crimes so they aren't just going to drop it. Whether it will actually come back to you, no one here can actually say. With multiple LPs involved, there's a good chance you are on camera. Maybe you'll be seeing you mug on TV soon asking the public to help identify you, my bet is someone will drop the dime on you.

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Quoting Hofbrau

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Yes we are 18. I'm starting to feel guilt about all of this, how much we hurt the men chasing us, etc...

Just so I know how lucky I am (if I did get away), what sort of punishment would my friends and I have gotten? I'd also like to know this because we've always done stupid stuff like this, I'd just like to realize how lucky we've been and stop now.

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I suppose I've never understood this mindset.

"I want to stop doing stupid stuff because there are Big Boy Penalties!"

What on earth happened to, "I won't do stupid stuff because it's just plain old wrong"?

It's like someone being sorry - except they're not actually sorry for what they did, they're sorry for being (or almost being) caught.

It's largely been shown that the sense that keeps many people from doing "stupid things" isn't the magnitude of the punishment but the likelihood of getting caught. I suspect Mr. Hofbrau got a big dose of how likely that indeed is.