Moment shoplifter suspect suddenly reaches for a gun and opens fire | News US

This is the heartstopping moment a shoplifting suspect allegedly tries to shoot his way out of custody – but his gun jams.

Shane Newman, 21, was caught on police bodycam reaching for a pistol and pointing it at an officer questioning him in the back of a Walmart in Canton on Thursday.

The video starts calmly with Newman and a woman, identified as Katerina Jeffrey, are looking at a piece of paper in a back room after being searched.

‘Are we going to jail?’ Jeffrey asked the police officer.

‘Not unless something crazy happens,’ the officer replied.

The officer doesn’t know that Newman has a pistol in his rucksack which evaded his first search.

Suddenly, Newman turns, whips out a gun and tries to shoot the officer as the woman screams, ‘No, no, no!’

A clicking sound could be heard as Newman allegedly pulls the trigger.

A Walmart security guard leaps on Newman to try and wrestle the gun away but the suspect raises it again and tries to open fire again.

The pistol clicks as it jams for a second time.

The officer drew his weapon and shouted, ‘Get back! Get back!’

He later admits he wanted to get the Walmart worker out of the way so he could eliminate Newman.

Instead the officer kicks him in the groin and wrestles Newman to the floor until back up arrived.

Both suspects were taken into custody.

In the bodycam footage, the officer told responding police Newman had ‘pulled the gun out, pointed it at my head and pulled the trigger,’ but the weapon did not fire.

Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said: ‘This incident is a reminder of the ever-present threat of violence against police officers and the gracious provision of God’s protection.

‘Thank you to all of you who regularly pray with me for our officers and our community.’

Newman was charged with attempted murder and felonious assault on a police officer, court records show.

Jeffrey, was charged with complicity to commit robbery and having weapons under disability for possession of ammunition, FOX 8 reported.

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