SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The South Bend police officer accused of switching price tags at Walmart turned himself in at the St. Joseph County Jail Thursday Morning.
Brandon Jones, 33, was booked into the jail at 2:23 a.m. He was released early Thursday afternoon and will be in court on Oct. 30.
A warrant was issued for Jones’ arrest Wednesday.
He has been charged with theft, a class A misdemeanor; and delivery of a false sales document, a level 6 felony. The incident in question happened at the Ireland Road Walmart on Sept. 25.
An asset protection associate reported seeing Jones scan a Notre Dame apparel item, but it showed up in the computer system as a pumpkin worth $2.98.
Jones allegedly rang up several other items that incorrectly scanned in as pumpkins.
According to charging documents, Jones was seen in surveillance video picking up several pumpkins, doing something to them and then setting them back down.
The loss for Walmart would have amounted to about $66.
Jones then attempted to leave the store, but he was approached by an asset protection manager and asked to come back inside.
In the asset prevention office, Jones allegedly said he was “having some problems in his life and didn’t feel like he could tell anyone about it.”
When a South Bend police Officer Kelly Waite arrived, Jones allegedly claimed that the clothes already had their price tags switched.
Waite was shown the video of Jones walking to the pumpkins, bringing them to his cart and them returning them.
Jones was charged Wednesday. As of noon, he has not been taken into custody.
The South Bend Police Department announced Wednesday afternoon that “the Board of Public Safety has placed Officer Brandon Jones on unpaid leave pending the outcome of criminal proceedings and an internal investigation.”
Source: https://www.wndu.com/content/news/Arrest-warrant-issued-for-South-Bend-police-officer-497827541.html