DA declares settlement in Wal-Mart stampede

Nassau County prosecutors announced a settlement from Wal-Mart stemming from the fatal Black Friday stampede in its Valley Stream store. As part of the deal announced at a news conference in Mineola,

News 12 Staff

May 7, 2009, 12:52 AM

Updated 5,559 days ago

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Nassau County prosecutors announced a settlement from Wal-Mart stemming from the fatal Black Friday stampede in its Valley Stream store.
As part of the deal announced at a news conference in Mineola, Wal-Mart will agree to implement new safety measures at its 92 stores across the state for the next three Black Fridays. The company will also pay $400,000 to a victims? compensation fund and will donate $1.5 million to Nassau County charities.
Wal-Mart employee Jdimytai Damour was trampled by shoppers rushing to get into the store on Black Friday last year. Four other people were injured in the stampede.
A spokesperson for Wal-Mart says the new safety measures will include proven crowd-control techniques.
Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice calls the agreement historic. Wal-Mart had faced a grand jury investigation, but Rice says her agreement will ensure real change, while the company only faced a fine if found guilty of corporate felony charges.
Stampede victims Leana Lockley, who was four months pregnant at the time, and Emmanuel Moultrie say they feel the company is getting off easy.
The attorney for Damour?s family released the following statement:
"Justice has not been served and those responsible must be held accountable for their actions. Justice is not for sale."
Rice says if Wal-Mart does not follow the terms of the settlement, she will re-launch the criminal case.


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