Sammie Wallace was caught on video camera holding a 2-year-old toddler hostage, after snatching her from her mother's shopping cart at an Oklahoma Wal-Mart, the Daily Mail reports. According to surveillance footage obtained by local television station, KFOR-TV, the man was seen grabbing a shopping cart and walking into the store. After a few minutes he walked up to the woman and for no apparent reason grabbed the little girl out of the shopping cart and hands the mother a cell phone demanding her to call the police.
The woman begins screaming for help as the guy pulls a knife out and holds it to the toddler's stomach. Witnesses begin to call 911 and block Wallace with their carts, the Daily Mail reports. Police arrive to the scene and reportedly a hostage negotiator begins talking to the guy. According to the website, Wallace started counting down from 60 and inched the knife closer to the young girl's neck before police shot him at point-black range killing him.
"He thought the child was being harmed and stabbed at the time he did the shooting," Midwest Police Chief Brandon Clabes said. "I mean we waited until the last second to use deadly force. No one wants to take a life, especially in the line of duty."
Police said while holding the little girl hostage, Wallace was making odd statements; they believe he suffered from a mental illness.
"He talked about being the richest man in the world and not being able to get a Dallas officer there in 10 minutes," Chief Clabes said.
Wallace was originally from Dallas and police said a search of his home revealed a rap sheet that included assault and drug related charges and the discovery of a binder with a bunch of religious writings. The little girl was unharmed during the incident and Wallace's family spoke out saying that he had a history of mental illness.
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