I've worked for wal-mart. Trust me when I say not everyone that works there is the same, plenty of people are just trying to make ends meet and hate the "idiot" section of employees that work there as much as the next person.Having said that, my experiences there have also made me take everything I read/hear with a grain of salt. Not because I believe it to be a great company, it can do wrong- just as any other company- but due to the ways I've seen people try to cheat the company or lie for their own benefit. Let me provide some examples, and break down why certain things were done as they were.1. Walmart is defensive when it comes to lawsuits because a lot of people try to fake injuries, accidents, or what not, and get "free money". Not everyone, but from what I've seen with my own eyes, and the fact I have a family member who works in AP and has to provide video to police of what happens in those cases, I'd say at least 40% of claims against Wal-mart are fraudulent.2. quote from deweyhewson "Walmart detained them, the police came and cuffed one of them, their two kids were taken to a security room..."Sue them for millions. That, right there, is kidnapping, pure and simple. Not the part after the cops arrived, but the first three words of that sentence. The law is very clear on this point. A store has absolutely zero legal authority to detain you if they suspect you of theft. Their legal recourse is to call the police without confronting you and have them deal with you when they show up.You are completely wrong about this. Merchant law gives any merchant the right to protect his property, which includes performing the equivalent of a "citizen's arrest" until police arrive. Even if you leave the property, then the police will simply be sent to your home to arrest you. In this case, they were within the law.3. The "ridiculous" amount of $150+ asked for by Wal-mart in recompense.The men were let off because the intent to steal could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Plenty of people try to steal with this method of "forgetting" to scan something. Considering how obvious it is when you do/don't scan something, I've always found that hard to believe. In all actuality, if the men had simply did as asked by security, the ordeal would have ended much more swiftly, it is because of their actions they were separated from their kids and placed in separate cars- by the police mind you, not Walmart AP. The security individuals MUST call the police once any stop is made, and the police then decide whether to press criminal charges, NOT Wal-mart. The letter they got is for a CIVIL SUIT, and the fee includes the two individuals paying court costs. Civil suits do not require a criminal verdict of guilty (remember OJ's case).4. Believe or not, Walmart has very strict standards for what an AP person can, or cannot do, and how to perform a stop. There is absolutely no real evidence that the security did anything wrong here. It's interesting how the statements of the two men pretty much contradict everything in the police report. Keep in mind the police write that, not Walmart. Walmart likely has video of the entire incident- including the kids in the security room, that is the real reason the men are not sueing, the video evidence would very likely debunk their version.For example, my aunt who works as security at Walmart. Asked a man to come with her for stealing $60 worth of DVD's. As required she had another AP person there for backup (people have tried to bite and stab her). The moment she tried to speak to him he starting yelling at her and threatening to "knock her the f--- out". Once the police arrived and they put him in the security room, he actually told her at one point he'd cut her throat for getting him arrested (yes charges were filed for that as well). Despite having a multitude of witnesses of the incident, the man actually tried to sue, saying he did nothing wrong and the security was screaming racial slurs at him. The video was shown in court, charges dropped.5. Walmart is by no means perfect, they've been wrong plenty of times. In this case, however, no evidence of wrongdoing is apparent, and it is actually amusing watching so many people react with such vitrol, despite the facts. Of course, what would one expect from the internet? I love to see the big guy pay when they deserve it, but fair is fair. Oh, yes, when it comes to the homophobic slurs- no way I believe that. The security room is going to have audio, no person in their right mind would say something like that, to children of all people, knowing they would be recorded and immediately fired. Walmart does have a very, very strict policy on discrimination (I know a black guy who got fired for using the "N word"). One poster is right, Walmart does NOT come to the defense of their employee's when it comes to discrimination.6. quote by sithmaster: "This reminds me. How many people will be trampled this year at Walmart on black Friday?"This is actually one of my pet peeves, blaming someone else for the misdeeds of another. A crowd of out of control people trample one man to death, but it is by no means the crowd's fault, oh no, it's Walmart's fault for... selling things? I've worked on Black Friday, and have seen the way these people act. No matter how many people we had, no matter where we put them, people just wouldn't listen. I've seen a person stabbed, and a man punch an old woman over a TV. Were all these Walmart's fault too? No. Certain people simply have no regard for others.My apologies for the length of my post. I hope it has at least shed some understanding and light on the matter. I'm sure I will be flamed and dugg down. However, I felt I had to come to the defense of family members who work in the field, especially considering how I know them to have been treated, and what I've seen myself. All I ask is you consider, what if that was your business, or your wallet, would you jump to the defense of the other guy so suddenly?