LONGVIEW/GREGG COUNTY (KYTX) - Longview Police say 44 year-old Rodney Leandre Webb attacked a worker when he was caught shoplifting at the Sears department store in Longview mall Tuesday night.
Police say the sears worker tried approach Webb and that's when things turned violent.
This is Rodney Leandre Webb, the man now in jail on aggravated robbery charges, after Longview police say he attacked a Sears Loss Prevention employee.
"He pulled the knife out of his pocket and displayed the blade."
But police spokesman Kristie Brian says Webb didn't have the knife in his hand for long.
"The employee actually knocked the knife out of Mr. Webb's hand."
Police say that led to a scuffle and that Webb even bit the worker in the stomach trying to get away. Police say sears employees kept Webb from getting away until officers arrived. No one else got hurt.
"I think they should have armed security around, it'd be a lot safer."
Gavin Mckinley says he comes to the Longview mall a lot. He says it's situations like Tuesday's that make a lot of shoppers uneasy.
"You never know what could happen now-a-days."
But you can't always avoid large crowds, especially during the holidays, with shoppers packing stores to buy gifts.
"Yes it is the Christmas season and their distracted but certainly being aware of their surroundings."
"With aggravated assaults going on just anywhere and everywhere and all of these shootings, nowhere's really safe...not even your own home."
Police say Webb had warrants out for his arrest for engaging in organized criminal activity and possession of drug paraphernalia. Just last week a Gregg County Judge issued another warrant after Webb failed to appear in court on another retail theft charge from earlier this year.
The Longview Mall had no comment.
