A self-admitted shoplifter in Portland is suing a grocery store after an employee stopped him mid-theft, setting up a case that underscores the growing tension between crime, order, and liability in one of America\u2019s most leftist cities.<\/span><\/p>\n Joshua Merkel, 45, filed a $10,000 lawsuit against Albertsons and a store employee after attempting to steal a cart full of groceries in March 2024. Merkel openly admitted in court that he had no intention of paying for the items, telling jurors, \u201cI understand I was committing a crime.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Now, he\u2019s arguing the employee who stopped him went too far.<\/span><\/p>\n The incident unfolded at a Southwest Portland Albertsons, where Merkel loaded up a shopping cart with food and walked out of the store without paying, according to court records. The lone employee working the register, Matthew \u201cDeme\u201d Cooper, chased him into the parking lot and confronted him.<\/span><\/p>\n What happened next escalated into a physical altercation that left Merkel with a fractured jaw and other injuries. But when prosecutors attempted to charge Cooper with second-degree assault, a charge that carried a potential six-year sentence, a jury took less than two hours to acquit him, rejecting the claim that his actions rose to criminal conduct.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite that acquittal, Merkel is now pursuing the case in civil court, claiming the employee used excessive force and seeking damages for medical bills and what he describes as \u201cmental anguish.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Merkel\u2019s own testimony undercuts much of his claim. He admitted to planning the theft, loading up items in the cart with his girlfriend, and leaving the store without attempting to pay, despite having money on him at the time. <\/span><\/p>\n While Merkel said hunger motivated the theft, during the criminal trial, defense attorneys argued he was selecting higher-value items, including T-bone steaks, with the intent to trade them for drugs. Merkel himself acknowledged that he has used methamphetamine on and off for roughly a decade, though he denied that it was his motive in this case.<\/span><\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/static\/images\/SP\/SPRMC323F\/1_rss.png\")
<\/p>\n