Suspected shoplifter releases pepper spray into crowd at Arden Fair Mall
Sacramento CA January 2 2019
A 24-year-old man was arrested Sunday for spraying pepper spray in the Arden Fair mall, exposing about 100 people to the substance, Sacramento police said.
Emanuel Gillispie was arrested by Sacramento police for “randomly” but “intentionally” spraying pepper spray in the mall, said Sgt. Vance Chandler, spokesman for the department.
The Sacramento Fire Department was called to the scene to assist anyone experiencing respiratory issues, Chandler said, but no one reported significant exposure to the pepper spray.
Officers worked with mall security to find Gillispie and arrested him on suspicion of using tear gas not in self-defense, as well as shoplifting, Chandler said.
He was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail and is currently ineligible for bail.
The arrest comes the day after a series of fights and disturbances broke out at Arden Fair, prompting police to close the mall early.
A large group of juveniles caused a disturbance around 6 p.m. Saturday — the second such incident at the mall in less than a week, Chandler told The Bee. Mall security closed the entrances, and a couple of fights ensued inside and outside the mall.
Eyewitness accounts describe large groups of teens running around the mall and multiple fights breaking out. No firearms were used, officials said.
One youth suffered a “minor injury,” Chandler said, and there were no reports of property damage. No arrests were made, he said, although one girl was cited for unlawfully possessing a stun gun.
