Two people from Massachusetts were caught shoplifting from two stores at the outlets in Merrimack, New Hampshire, on Saturday afternoon, and they allegedly didn't go down without a fight.
Merrimack police say Maryah Williams, of Boston, and Lasonia Watler, of Brockton, were arrested and are facing multiple charges following the incident that occurred around 3:45 p.m. at the Merrimack Premium Outlets.
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Officers initially responded to the outlets for a report of a theft in progress at the Polo store. After a brief search, officers found the suspected thieves inside the American Eagle outlet and saw Williams and Watler were in possession of merchandise stolen from both of the stores, police said.
One of the two began immediately emptying her shopping bags in an attempt to conceal the stolen merchandise, police say.
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As officers attempted to detain both suspects, they allegedly began to resist the officers.
Williams kicked an officer in the stomach, police said. While a cop attempted to place her in handcuffs, she was able to draw a canister of pepper spray and discharged the spray into the officer’s eyes and into the air in the store, affecting the other officer and other customers in American Eagle.
Watler also resisted officers and attempted to draw her own pepper spray, but she was stopped before discharging it.
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Both involved officers were evaluated and treated by Merrimack Fire and EMS. All other patrons of the store who were exposed to the pepper spray were offered and refused any medical treatment, police said.
According to police, both Williams and Watler were eventually taken into custody but they continued resisting and "yelling obscene and racially insensitive insults" in a public setting causing a disruption to other shoppers.
Williams is charged with the felony offenses of receiving stolen property, attempted second degree assault and falsifying physical evidence. She's facing misdemeanor charges of simple assault on a police officer x2, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and possession of theft detection device removal tools.
Watler is charged with the felony offense of receiving stolen property and misdemeanor offenses of resisting arrest or detention, attempted simple assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and possession of theft detection device removal tools.
Both Williams and Watler are being held at the Hillsborough County Department of Corrections and are scheduled to appear in the 9th Circuit Merrimack District Court on Monday. It wasn't immediately clear if either had obtained an attorney.
