A daring escape attempt by a suspected shoplifter led to a dramatic scene at Houston's Galleria Mall this past Sunday, with the man leaping from the second floor only to end up immobilized on an ice skating rink below. According to Click2Houston, Houston Police Department officers were pursuing the suspect, who had allegedly been involved in a theft, when he decided to jump, resulting in what witnesses described as severe injuries to his legs.
Ken Gilliard, a witness at the scene, captured video footage which showed the man lying on the ice, apparently unable to move his legs. "Oh my God," Gilliard said in the video. "Bro just fell from up there. He jumped from the top, landed straight on ice," as reported by Click2Houston. Descriptions in the video suggest the suspect was in a significant amount of pain, and police on the scene moved quickly to assist him. The incident occurred around 2:20 p.m. as per the report by KHOU.
The nature of the injuries was not officially confirmed by the Houston Police Department, but they did say that the suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment. The identity of the shoplifter has not been released pending formal charges, which are said to include theft and evading police. The question remains whether drugs or alcohol may have played a role in the incident, but authorities have not commented on that possibility. Evidence of a shoplifting incident originated from a claim that the man had stolen sunglasses before being spotted by an off-duty officer working a secondary job at the mall.
