According to Insurance Journal and the Capital Gazette, a $20 million lawsuit has been filed by the family of Tavon Talley, a 26-year-old suspected shoplifter who had been chased from the Arundel Mills mall by security officers to his untimely death.
Talley’s family filed the lawsuit in Baltimore City Circuit Court this past February against Valor Security Services and Mydatt Services (Valor’s parent company), citing that on July 7, 2014, four of the mall’s security guards and Zumiez store manager, Bethany Brafa, chased Talley from the store, through the mall parking lot, and into a nearby wooded area after confronting him for suspected shoplifting. Talley then jumped into a retention pond and never resurfaced.
It is also alleged in the complaint that the mall employees did not try to rescue Talley, refused to contact the police and contacted their supervisor instead. Police were apparently called after it had been too late; almost an hour after the incident occurred. By the time rescue personnel arrived at the scene, Talley was unable to be revived.
A trial date has not yet been scheduled.
For more information regarding the lawsuit, see below.