Plaintiffs accuse Walmart of False Imprisonment

A family is taking legal action against a major retail corporation following an incident that left them feeling humiliated and distressed. On February 25, 2026, Delceida Rogers, along with Dorothy Floyd, Malik Colvin, and minor Princeton Leggette-Rogers, filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina against Walmart, Inc. The plaintiffs allege negligence and false imprisonment after being wrongfully accused of shoplifting at a Fayetteville Walmart store.

The incident occurred on July 24, 2025, when the Rogers family visited the Walmart Supercenter on Skibo Road in Fayetteville. According to the complaint, they were shopping as a family when Walmart’s loss prevention agents began surveilling them. After completing their purchases at self-checkout kiosks without any issues, they were unexpectedly detained by Walmart’s loss prevention staff and local police officers upon exiting the store. The plaintiffs claim they were falsely accused of shoplifting despite having paid for all their items. The situation escalated when Ms. Rogers was handcuffed and taken to a patrol vehicle while her children watched in distress.

The plaintiffs argue that Walmart acted without probable cause and that their actions resulted in public humiliation and emotional distress for the entire family. They assert that the loss prevention agents misinterpreted receipts and failed to follow proper procedures. Furthermore, they believe racial profiling played a role in their wrongful detention, as they are African American and felt stereotyped as low-income individuals likely to commit theft.

In response to these events, the plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages exceeding $75,000 for each count of false imprisonment and negligence. They also demand punitive damages due to what they describe as egregious conduct by Walmart’s employees who allegedly misled law enforcement into detaining them unlawfully.

Representing the plaintiffs is attorney Patrick R. Anstead from The Richardson Firm PLLC based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The case has been assigned Case ID No. 5:26-cv-00116-BO with jurisdiction resting in the Eastern District of North Carolina under Judge Terrence W. Boyle.