LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) - A grocery store chain faces a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit in Arkansas over the stabbing of a man in August.
Lakeshia Booth, the daughter of James Booth, brought the suit Feb. 3 in Pulaski County Circuit Court against Kroger and Central Defense Services. James was allegedly murdered at a Kroger store in North Little Rock by Ethan Smith - a man who had been panhandling and harassing customers prior to stabbing James, the suit says.
"It should be noted that Ethan Smith undertook the... actions while shirtless," the suit says. "Based on these actions, it was patently clear that Ethan Smith was under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both.
"Based on these actions it was also clear that Ethan Smith posed a danger to Plaintiff and other patrons."
Kroger failed to notify customers that there was a danger present on its premises, the suit says, despite a history of troubles. The complaint notes a THV11 article from January 2018 that says customers were concerned for their safety there.
"Moreover, police were called to North Little Rock Kroger dozens of times in the months immediately preceding the attack to address ongoing crimes, some of which were violent in nature," the suit says, citing 13 specific instances.
Co-defendant Central Defense Services was hired by Kroger for security services, the suit says, but failed to stop the attack.
Booth was 55 years old when he died. Smith is charged with first-degree murder.
The suit seeks at least $10 million and was filed by Louis Etoch and lawyers at the Etoch Law Firm in Helena.