You have probably heard that Target welcomes men to utilize the Ladies Rest Room at it’s stores.  This has led to boycotts and a loss of value to Target Stock.  The retailer blames global warming for its recent plunge in stock prices.  Now comes the latest Target Sues Hero Who Saved girl.  This incident is set to go to trial this week.  If this is the quality of legal advice that Target relies on, then all is made clear.

The above article is not very clear but here is what happened, Leon Walls stabbed an individual at a location away from the Target. Mr. Turner and two friends set off in pursuit of Walls and received information that Walls had taken refuge in the Target.

Turner and company entered the Target searching for Walls.  Some mention was made that Turner and his associates were armed with baseball bats.  They found Walls.  Walls then attacked Meadows a sixteen year old girl who was shopping. Turner intervened, stopped the attack and held Walls for the police.

Target claims that by chasing Walls into the Target, Turner was reckless.  He created an unacceptable risk to patrons of the store. Pretty thin stuff.

Based on the information available, it appears that Walls chose the location with no input from Turner.  Walls was escaping from committing a felony and had not reached a place of safety. In other words he was still in the process of escaping and his pursuers had no reason to abandon the pursuit. Where was store security? A companion to that question is what is the standard operating procedure for handling such a situation.  I would be willing to bet the only persons willing and capable of dealing with Walls, prior to the arrival of police, was Mr. Turner and his associates.

The stories I have read seem to indicate that Walls stabbed Meadows in a spontaneous act.  There was no hostage scenario, no quid pro quo, “Let me go or the girl gets it.” The timely intervention of Turner prevented the situation from escalating.

Why would Target sue Turner?  A judgment against him is liable to go unsatisfied. The answer is that Target needs a straw-man. If their legal team, such as it is, get obtain a judgment against Turner then that bolsters their position in the Meadows law suit. If Turner is responsible then Target is not, or alternately because of a judgment against Turner, Target ought to be only 50% or 25% responsible.

I can see the Target defense now in the first bathroom rape case.  It wasn’t our fault, she exposed herself.  But, but she was in the ladies room, in a locked stall, using the toilet.  See, exposing herself! In the ladies room.  Yeah, so we let men in there, should have known better.