Target shoplifter and security guard plunge down elevator shaft after fight
A security guard and a teenage shoplifter are both in critical condition after they fell multiple stories down an elevator shaft on Thursday.
The altercation began at a Target inside the Bronx Terminal Market, just blocks away from Yankee Stadium. The fight began between a 29-year-old loss prevention officer and a 16-year-old he caught shoplifting.
The fight turned violent, and the duo slammed into a closed elevator door. The door couldn’t take the weight of both people and opened, leaving the pair to fall several stories down an empty elevator shaft.
The Target is located on the third floor of the Bronx Terminal Market, but one victim fell another 10 to 15 feet below the ground floor.
Fire Department of New York (FDNY) first responders got the call around 11.15am Thursday morning and were able to get to the building in under 3 minutes. They spent hours trying to rescue the two men.
‘The first victim was moved immediately. The second victim was a little more difficult,’ Deputy Assistant Fire Chief John Sarrocco said.
The first victim rescued was the teenager, who was transported to a local hospital immediately and is in serious condition.
The security guard had fallen underneath an elevator in the shaft, into a pit 10 to 15 feet below. Firefighters had to crawl inside and administer first aid while waiting for others to set up a ‘rope system’ to extract him from the pit, Sarrocco said.
Firefighters were also forced to cut a large hole into the wall of a nearby Dollar Discount and Party Store to reach the elevator pit. The security guard was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and is in critical condition.
Chief Sarrocco called the efforts of the firefighters ‘astounding,’ and praised them for being able to save both victims. ‘We train every day for something like this, and when it happens we’re ready to go.’
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.