Shoplifting suspect jumped from 2nd floor of busy mall, ran down child, police say

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Body camera video captured the moment police used a Taser to take down a suspect who got into a scuffle with an officer at a local mall.

Police said it started as a simple case of shoplifting inside the mall but took a very violent turn as officers chased that suspect out here to the parking garage.

Body camera footage shows a Dunwoody officer scuffling with Jeffrey Newell at Perimeter Mall on Saturday.

"The officers pleaded with him to stop struggling so they could pull him back up," said Sgt. Robert Parsons with the Dunwoody Police Department.

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Sergeant Robert Parsons said Newell jumped over a railing to get away. Amazingly, Newell got up and exited the mall to avoid arrest on felony shoplifting charges.

"(He had) about $1,200 worth of clothes," said Parsons.

Before the scuffle, a mother told us Newell ran into her 5-year-old daughter as he ran from cops.

"Out of nowhere, this madman just kind of comes up in between us and pushes her out of the way to make a path for himself," the mother said.

She said the impact was so violent, her daughter's shoe flew off and ended up in the bag with the bag of merchandise that he allegedly stole leaving the little girl injured and scared.

"She is terrified of that mall. That broke my heart," the mother said.

Cops eventually cornered Newell, shocked him with a stun gun and arrested him.

"Anybody who would hit a 5-year-old, 40-pound child? I'm glad he's locked up," the mother said.

Newell is facing several charges, including felony shoplifting, reckless conduct for hitting the child and an aggravated assault charge because police say he pulled a knife on someone else trying to stop him while he ran.

Cox Media Group