Family of slain Philadelphia Macy's security guard sues retailer
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Macy's Center City. Photo: Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Macy's, Inc
The parents of a slain Macy's security guard say in a new lawsuit their son's death could've been prevented if the retailer protected employees from "increasingly brazen and violent thefts" at its Philadelphia store.
Driving the news: Security guard Eric Harrison's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday against Macy's Retail Holdings and the city over his fatal stabbing at the Center City store in December 2023.
- The family is seeking at least $150,000 in damages.
- The suit comes more than a week after a Philadelphia man, Tyrone Tunnell, 31, pleaded guilty to murder and related charges in Harrison's death. Tunnell is expected to be sentenced early next year.
Flashback: The 27-year-old Harrison and another guard caught Tunnell trying to steal hats worth $60 from the store in December 2023.
- After an altercation, Tunnell left the store but returned minutes later and stabbed Harrison in the neck, per police.
Context: Macy's employees had asked for additional security measures, including bulletproof vests and gloves, in the months before Harrison's death, his family says in the lawsuit.
- But those requests were repeatedly denied because the store wanted to appear "welcoming" to shoppers, the suit says.
The family's lawsuit also blames prosecutors' decision to treat all retail thefts under $500 as lower-level crimes similar to traffic tickets. The policy made it "open season" on retailers like Macy's, the suit argues.
- District Attorney Larry Krasner repealed that policy and created a retail theft task force earlier this year to combat rising retail theft across Philadelphia.
The intrigue: The suit also accuses an unnamed Philadelphia police detective of leaking surveillance footage of Harrison's dying moments.
The other side: Macy's is "heartbroken about the tragedy that took place" at the Philly store, a spokesperson tells Axios in a statement. The company says it doesn't comment on pending litigation.
- The city declined Axios' request for comment on the lawsuit.
The fine print: Lawyers for the family filed a writ of summons providing notice of the lawsuit back in January. The complaint filed Wednesday provides details about the family's allegations.
By the numbers: The Macy's in Center City experienced nearly 1,000 thefts in 2023, per the lawsuit.
- An Axios analysis of police data found Macy's and Nordstrom Rack in Center City were Philly's most targeted stores for retail thefts between 2017 and 2024.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to add comment from a Macy's spokesperson.