Lois Speelman

UPDATE, December 10, 2010: Lois Speelman's Racial Comments
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UPDATE, December 9, 2010: No charges in incident involving 100-year-old Walmart greeter

Prosecutors said Thursday they have decided not to file charges against a 37-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of pushing a 100-year-old woman during a dispute last month at a Milwaukee Walmart where the older woman works as a greeter.

...Prosecutors decided not to file charges after interviewing both the customer and the greeter, Lois Speelman, and viewing surveillance video of the incident, during which Speelman was trying to verify that the customer had paid for the items in her cart, according to a statement from the Milwaukee County district attorney's office.

The customer had paid for everything in the cart and was a regular customer at the store at 3355 S. 27th St., according to the district attorney's office.

The video shows that Speelman fell to the floor after the customer made "incidental contact" with her while trying to retrieve her receipt, which Speelman had been reviewing for more than 30 seconds, according to the statement from the district attorney's office.

The customer did not intend to harm Speelman, the statement says.

"Incidental contact" is very different from the original coverage offered by the media. TV interviews with Speelman told a very different story.

Retractions, or at least clarifications, are in order.

The surveillance video shows that the 37-year-old woman did not intentionally become physically abusive with Speelman.

In short, prosecutors have decided that she did not beat up a 100-year-old lady and should not be charged.

She did not behave like a thug.

Will media outlets contact Speelman to get her reaction on no charges in the incident? I think they should try.

Watch the video of the incident.

Metcalf seemed to be very patient and cooperative initially. However, when she grabbed her receipt and saw that the old woman fell, I don't think she should have bolted.

She certainly didn't beat up Speelman, but she also didn't show concern for the elderly woman.
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Lois Speelman is 100 years old.

That's an accomplishment in itself. More than that, she works an average of 34 hours per week as a Wal-Mart greeter in Milwaukee.

Speelman, who has been widowed twice, started her job as a greeter at the store when she was 90 years old. She retired at age 95, but returned two years later, after her only living son died.

On Sunday, an abusive customer physically assaulted Lois, pushing her.

Who roughs up a 100-year-old woman?

A real jerk.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A 100-year-old woman who works as a greeter at a Milwaukee Wal-Mart said Monday she is bruised and sore but otherwise OK after a customer pushed her during a dispute Sunday.

In fact, Lois Speelman said she plans to return to work Thursday.

"I'm just stiff and sore," she said in a telephone interview from her Greenfield home. "I'll deal with that."

Speelman was working at the Wal-Mart at 3355 S. 27th St. when a 37-year-old woman pushed her after apparently becoming upset that Speelman was trying to verify that the woman had paid for water bottles that were inside her shopping cart, Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said Monday.

The woman was arrested, and the Milwaukee County district attorney's office is reviewing the case, Schwartz said.

Speelman said she didn't want to discuss details of Sunday's incident until the investigation is complete, but she said she was simply doing her job by making sure the customer had paid for her items when she was attacked.

"That's our job," Speelman said. "That's what we're up there in front for, to watch people going and coming."

Speelman said she usually works with a partner, but her partner was performing another task when the incident occurred.

Speelman said she hit her head and was taken by ambulance to Wheaton Franciscan-St. Francis Hospital, where she underwent a CT scan and was released.

A Wal-Mart spokeswoman said in a voice mail that the customer's actions were "appalling" but did not return a call seeking more information about the incident.

...Speelman said Monday that her employers treat her well but that she works because she needs the money. She also said she's had previous run-ins with customers.

"You get a lot of customers who are not out to hurt you, but they always give you a bad time," she said.

I'm glad Lois is OK, and I'm glad the thug woman was arrested.

No customer should be pushing a Wal-Mart employee, no matter what age the individual happens to be.

But a 100-year-old lady?

Sick.