Elderly Florida Shoplifter Kills Himself After Threatening Supermarket Employees With Knife

An elderly shoplifter fatally stabbed himself after threatening supermarket employees with a knife in Venice, Florida, on Monday.

Venice police responded to a Publix supermarket after receiving a report of a shoplifter threatening the employees.

“The male suspect threatened supermarket employees with a knife and fled the store,” the city of Venice said.

A search was initiated for the shoplifter who was found a few lanes from the supermarket. The officers confronted the man who “ignored commands from officers to drop the knife." He then “began inflicting life-threatening wounds on himself.”

The officers rendered first aid to the man until the Sarasota County Fire Department arrived. He was rushed to Venice Regional Bayfront Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The following day, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office identified the man as 60-year-old Randy Dull. The incident was being investigated by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred months after a shoplifter attempted to stab the police officers with a pen as they tried to arrest him at a Walmart in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Police responded to the Walmart after receiving a report the man was caught trying to shoplift and that he had stuffed the items into his waistband.

The officers were told the store was ready to forgive Anthony Inks on two conditions. One was he must return all the items that he had taken and second he must sign on a paper stating he would never enter the supermarket again.

Inks took out a pen but refused to sign. When he refused to leave the store, the officers tried to escort him out. The man became “extremely belligerent with law enforcement” and tried to take out a knife that he had in his possession. When he was unable to get it, the man attempted to stab the officers with a pen that was in his hand. The officers, however, managed to handcuff Inks. He was charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest.