Twenty people were injured in what is being described as a “competitive shopping” incident at a San Fernando Valley Wal-Mart store, when a woman used pepper spray against other customers. A fight broke out shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday, just before Wal-Mart’s Black Friday deals were scheduled to begin. One witness, Alejandra Seminario, said the commotion began when shoppers began tearing at the plastic encasing on gaming consoles.
“People started screaming, pulling and pushing each other, and then the whole area filled up with pepper spray,” Seminario said. She said she breathed in some of the pepper spray and began coughing. “I did not want to get involved. I was too scared. I just stayed in the toy aisle.” Joseph Poulose, one of the customers hit by pepper spray, said Wal-Mart had failed in crowd control.
