Man claims he was falsely accused and assaulted at Galveston Wal-Mart

GALVESTON - Alleging a security guard at the Galveston Wal-Mart assaulted him last year, Shawn Allen Catrett is pursuing legal action.

Catrett, currently incarcerated at the Galveston County Jail, is suing Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Yale Security and Robert Austin in response to the alleged incident.

According to handwritten court documents filed April 23 in Galveston County District Court, the plaintiff was exiting Wal-Mart around noon on Sept. 7, 2011, when a female employee stopped him and accused him of shoplifting.

The plaintiff handed the agent the merchandise in question, the suit states.

Afterwards, Austin, an employee of Yale and Wal-Mart, tackled Catrett to the ground, the original petition states.

The suit adds the plaintiff, suffering from shock and fear, tried to walk to his vehicle when Austin allegedly assaulted him again.

Catrett's arms were broken and his torso sustained burns as a result of him hitting the hot asphalt of the parking lot, the suit claims.

He claims Wal-Mart ordered a female security guard to sit on him until police arrived on the scene.

Paramedics transported Catrett to the nearby University of Texas Medical Branch.

The suit insists the defendants have no evidence to support the subject attack.

Consequently, Catrett seeks at least $25,000 in damages.

He is representing himself, and Galveston County 56th District Court Judge Lonnie Cox is presiding over the case.

Case No. 12-cv-1108