No incidents reported at V.S. Walmart

When a Valley Stream Walmart employee was fatally trampled last November after hordes of customers stormed the doors during its Black Friday sale, the world’s largest retailer was forced to make changes to the way it conducted business on the busiest shopping day of the year in order to avoid prosecution by the county district attorney. Walmart implemented a new Black Friday crowd management plan at its 92 statewide stores, and Walmart officials said that this year, there were limited incidents.

“In Valley Stream and across the country, we’ve had some positive feedback from our customers,” said Daphne Moore, a spokesperson for Walmart. “In regards to Black Friday, our store plans helped customers have a safe and enjoyable shopping experience.”

Moore said Walmart officials will review the aspects of the crowd management plan that worked, and address areas that need tailoring. She noted, however, that it was too early to tell where adjustments or improvements would be made. Moore added that besides for a few minor incidents, Black Friday shopping went fairly smooth. “Looking at all our locations across the country, we heard of a few scuffles, but overall it was a safe event.”

Officials from the 5th Precinct said that “they had nothing” in terms of arrests or incidents called in during the Black Friday sale in Valley Stream.

Last year, Jdimytai Damour, 34, a shelf stocker, was placed in the vestibule of the store before the 5 a.m. Black Friday sales began. Customers stormed the entrance when Walmart opened its doors, and Damour was trampled to death. In exchange for avoiding prosecution for the incident last November, Walmart agreed to implement a crowd management plan, as well as set up a $400,000 victims’ compensation and remuneration fund, donate $1.5 million to the community and provide 50 jobs annually to Nassau teens.

According to Walmart representatives, the plan addressed issues relating to customer approach and entry into the store; customer flow through the store; and flow through the checkout aisles and away from the store.