Jameis Winston Doesn't Know You Have to Pay at the Supermarket

[revo]

Jeepers, why jeopardize a multi-gazillion dollar career over $32? Didn't a similar thing happen to Laveranues Coles, and it resulted in him dropping a couple of rounds in the draft?


"Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston has been suspended from the Florida State baseball team after being issued a civil citation Tuesday for shoplifting crab legs from a Publix grocery store.

The two-sport superstar is currently the closer for the Seminoles' No. 6-ranked baseball team.

The Leon County Sheriff's Office met with media members Wednesday to provide details of the incident. Maj. Mike Wood said that at around 9 p.m. Tuesday, Winston walked out of the Publix with $32.72 worth of groceries, primarily crab legs.

After being alerted by Publix staff and an off-duty deputy on hand, sheriff's deputies met with Winston at his residence. Winston was "very cooperative," Wood said, acknowledging that he had not paid for the crab legs and explaining that he had forgotten to pay before leaving. Winston admitted he had made no effort to contact the Publix, or arrange to pay for the crab legs.

Winston issued a statement Wednesday afternoon through his attorney.

"As reported in the news, last night I received an adult civil citation for petit theft from a local supermarket," Winston said. "I went to the supermarket with the intent to purchase dinner but made a terrible mistake for which I'm taking full responsibility. In a moment of youthful ignorance, I walked out of the store without paying for one of my items."

[Fresno Bob]

Protip: don't get baked before grocery shopping

[Lucky]

Mmmmmm...crab legs.

[chancellor]

You just can't manage stupid

[johnnya24]

Protip: don't get baked before grocery shopping

This was my first thought reading this ... he must have been walking around the isles totally off his head.

[bryanbutler]

was coles the pants shoplifting one? i remember thinking how stupid that was. this is equally as bad...

[revo]

was coles the pants shoplifting one? i remember thinking how stupid that was. this is equally as bad...

Yeah. He and Peter Warrick (who was more talented, and thus less affected) "bought" $400 worth of stuff at Walmart for $20 or so through some cashier/groupie.

[Pogues]

Cut the guy a break. This is probably his first time ever going into a grocery store. It can be quite disorienting...all that stuff on shelves, the long aisles that lead nowhere but to the back of the store, the line of registers, those weird scanner things by the doors that beep really loud on occasion...

[onejayhawk]

The word tonight is that this particular store has been turning the other way for years, if not decades, when star players walked past the checkout. Not to say this was legal, but it was evidently common practice.

J

[revo]

Here's a version from ESPN's Jeff Cameron, whose source viewed the surveillance tape:

"Cameron says that Winston, with his long-distance girlfriend in town, went to get some wings and crab legs. He went to Publix, ordered the crab legs, then left to go to Hobbit Hoagies for wings (down the road, which he paid for), then came back to Publix, with the car running in the rain to grab the crab legs. He got some butter, and the crab legs, and was mobbed for autographs by fans in the Publix (this is not uncommon around town as Winston is a huge celebrity). Cameron notes that Winston was mistaken in thinking he could quickly go in and out of any place in Tallahassee without signing autographs and taking pictures.

Winston signs autographs, takes pictures, gets distracted, puts the butter down in doing so, picks up the crab legs, and calmly walks out of Publix talking to a police officer, crab in hand, not trying to hide anything. When he gets home, he realizes he didn't get the butter for his crab legs, and realizes he didn't pay for the crab legs. He doesn't go back to pay for them, and admitted as much. If Winston were trying to shoplift, he probably doesn't walk out, crab legs in hand, talking with a police officer. It's possible, but unlikely.

It's worth noting that Publix was close to closing time, the weather in Tallahassee Tuesday night was nasty (raining a bunch), and that Winston's girlfriend, whom he does not get to see all that often, was in town. Those aren't necessarily excuses for not going back, but are perhaps reasons why someone in a similar situation wouldn't choose to go back to the store that night.

We do not know if Winston would have ever gone back to pay for the crab legs if given the chance.

And we do not know if Winston has previously had this happen and not been punished for it. It is perhaps curious why Publix would be insistent on sending LCSO over to Winston's apartment after midnight."