Wal-Mart (WMT) stores in Springhill and Mansfield, Louisiana saw a stampede and shelf-clearing rush when a computer glitch for food-stamp recipients led to cards allowing unlimited purchases.
Police were called to the stores as entire shelves were cleared up until the time when the glitch was fixed and low-income residents using the EBT cards were no longer allowed to purchase.
Springhill Police Chief Will Lynd confirms they were called in to help the employees at Walmart because there were so many people clearing off the shelves. He says Walmart was so packed, “It was worse than any black Friday” that he’s ever seen.
Lynd explained the cards weren’t showing limits and they called corporate Walmart, whose spokesman said to let the people use the cards anyway. From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700.00 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Walmart said they wouldn’t press charges if she left the food.
Lynd says at 9 p.m., when the cards came back online and it was announced over the loud speaker, people just left their carts full of food in the aisles and left.
There were no arrests.
“Just about everything is gone, I’ve never seen it in that condition,” said Mansfield Walmart customer Anthony Fuller.
