An episode involving police and "Walmart campers,"
has left one man dead, a police officer shot, another man hospitalized, and a
number of family members in jail. The Cottonwood, Arizona confrontation has also rung up fears
that retail giant and RVer-favorite, Walmart, might consider shutting down
overnight parking at their stores.
While details of the March 24 incident are still hazy, it
appears that a Christian-music performing family group had been camped out at
the Cottonwood store for some days. Late on
that Saturday night, one of the family members was using one of the store's
bathrooms, while two others stood guard at the door. When a Walmart employee
attempted to enter, a scuffle broke out, which ended up outside in the parking
lot.
Police responded to calls for assistance, and a Walmart
security officer attempted to help. It's reported that the first officer on the
scene was assaulted and one of the suspects, a family member, allegedly took
the officer's gun. Backup officers arrived, the confrontation got more
involved. In the end, one of the police officers was shot in the leg, and a
family member shot in the head and killed. Another family member is
hospitalized.
On learning that the family had been living in the parking
lot, the media immediately pounced on the idea of "camping," at
Walmart. Man-on-the-street interviews ensued with some locals claiming they'd
been frightened or otherwise put-out by people staying in the lot. Cottonwood
Walmart officials have met with local police to "discuss solutions to
extended camping" in their lot.
Greg Gerber, editor of RV Daily Report, looks at the
situation as an issue just waiting to happen. Writes Gerber, "What turned
out to be a wonderful perk offered by Walmart to RV owners everywhere, will
come to an end because some idiots opt to use Walmart as a campground, rather
than as a safe place to park an RV for a few hours to catch some sleep."
One would hope that cool heads will prevail. The fact that
this family was camped out in the parking lot for several days shouldn't figure
into whether to allow RVers to overnight or not. A review of news accounts over
the last several months reveals shooting incidents at RV parks and campgrounds
around the country. Do we shut down the parks? Some figure Walmart will find
the "risks" of allowing overnighters will outweigh the benefits that
they see. While we've never seen a formal study, just hobnobbing around the
campfire reveals that plenty of RVer money gets passed into Walmart tills when
an overnight stay takes place.
Nevertheless, Gerber's comments are well-taken. Those who
"set up shop" in a Walmart lot give the rest of us in the RV
community a black eye. For heavens sakes, do we really need to set out the lawn
chairs, extend the awning, even grill a steak on the barbee? It's only asking
to have the locals – and local RV park owners – raise an unnecessary stink.
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