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Man used disguised stun gun on Walmart security guard

CASSELBERRY, Fla. — A shoplifting suspect is in jail Wednesday after police say he used an unexpected device to try to get away.

Surveillance cameras at the Walmart in Casselberry captured almost everything up to the point where, investigators said, the suspect pulled a stun gun and used it on a security guard.

Video shows a man who police identified as Travis McNeal walking through the garden area of Walmart with a $290 air compressor in his cart.

In one video, McNeal appears as though he's about to leave the store without paying. That's when two loss prevention officers approach him, and he quickly turns around.

In another video, he is seen leaving the cart and casually walking out a different door.

Seconds  later, a plainclothes guard is seen running after him.

Police said it was then, just off camera, that McNeal pulled out a stun gun and zapped the officer in the chest.

"That was pretty stupid," said Walmart shopper Cierra Howard. "But not everyone has an Einstein  IQ, either."

Police said the stun device McNeal used looked like a cellphone and had prongs on the top that delivered the electrical charge. It is a legal device to carry, police said.

"It's legal to have as long as it's used for defensive purposes only, unless you've been convicted of a felony," said Capt. David Del Rosso of the Casselberry Police Department.

McNeal didn't get far. Two Walmart loss prevention officers caught him not far from the store.

Police said they found the stun gun in McNeal's pocket, along with a knife.

McNeal already has three theft convictions on his record.

Police said the latest charges could keep him locked up for a year or more.

According to Florida state law, a person does not need a concealed weapons permit to carry most types of stun guns.