A missing cellphone reportedly sent police straight to a man accused of turning a detergent shoplifting attempt into an armed confrontation at a Shively Family Dollar. The bizarre breadcrumb trail ended with an arrest, an empty holster and a second charge tied to the suspect’s alleged struggle with officers.
According to a report by WAVE, officers responded around 5:30 p.m. Saturday to the Family Dollar in the 2500 block of Dixie Highway after employees reported that 25-year-old Rai’Shaun T. Moore tried to leave with several bottles of detergent without paying. An employee reportedly recovered the items, but police say Moore grabbed them back and a physical struggle broke out in the store vestibule. According to LouisvilleKY.gov's 2035 Transportation Plan, the Dixie Highway corridor may be the region's most important transportation artery and carries as many as 60,000 cars.
Police Say Suspect Dropped Phone During Struggle
Police allege Moore pulled out a firearm during the confrontation and struck the employee in the face with it before fleeing. Investigators said surveillance video captured the altercation and showed what appeared to be a gun, although officers later found no weapon when Moore was arrested. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the BJS National Crime Victimization Survey from 1993-1999 found that 20 out of 1,000 retail workers had experienced some form of simple or aggravated assault.
The arrest citation says Moore’s fiancée returned to the store after the incident to retrieve a cellphone he had dropped during the struggle, WAVE reported. Officers then located Moore near 1800 Park Road, where they reportedly found an empty firearm holster in his possession.
Robbery And Resisting Arrest Charges Filed
Moore was charged with first-degree robbery and resisting arrest and booked into the Jefferson County Metro Corrections facility. Police also allege that he pulled away while officers tried to handcuff him and kicked a patrol vehicle during transport.
Under Kentucky law, first-degree robbery is a Class B felony when a person uses or threatens physical force during a theft and causes injury, is armed with a deadly weapon or uses a dangerous instrument. Resisting arrest is a Class A misdemeanor under a separate state statute, which applies when someone uses force or creates a substantial risk of injury to prevent an officer from making an arrest.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and court records did not indicate whether Moore had an attorney available to comment. The investigation remains tied to the surveillance footage, the employee’s reported injury and the phone that allegedly brought officers to him.
