Marion County sheriff’s deputies had to taser an Ocala man at the Summerfield Wal-Mart on Thursday after he failed to follow their commands.
When deputies arrived at the store, located at 17861 S. U.S. Hwy. 441, they found a loss prevention officer speaking with 28-year-old Irvin Lamar Smothers, who lives at 1937 NW 4th Place. As deputies were taking Smothers to an office inside the store to speak with him, he “uttered that he knows he was wrong for stealing and that he wouldn’t do it again,” a sheriff’s office report states.
When a deputy went to pat Smothers down, he took his hands off of a door several times. The deputy warned Smothers that he needed to comply with his commands, and when he did not, the deputy attempted to put him in handcuffs. But Smothers continued to resist the deputies and they were forced to use a taser on him to get him in handcuffs, the report says.
Deputies then watched video surveillance footage of Smothers walking around the store placing numerous items in a tote bin and attempt to “fraudulently return the items at the customer service counter.” Smothers then attempted to leave the store with the items, valued at $95.28, and was stopped by the loss prevention office, the report says.
Smothers was taken into custody and transported to the Marion County Jail. During the booking process, a green leafy substance was found in his pants pocket that tested positive for marijuana, the report states.
Smothers, who has served time in the Marion County Jail 10 times since March 2008, was charged with larceny/petit theft, dealing in stolen property, resisting an officer without violence, smuggling contraband into a detention facility and possession of marijuana not more than 20 grams. He was being held on $10,000 bond.
