That's pretty messed up. I worked as a security specialist for a big chain of retail stores for several years, and I was in charge of training all the new hires. The biggest rule I made sure everyone remembered was that if the suspect was a danger to the security officer, to the patrons of the store, or to himself, then it's best to just let him/her go. There's no need for anyone to get hurt over an apprehension, especially if it was over a petty amount. Robberies, assaults, etc., are a different story. But this sounds like nothing more than minor larceny, a misdemeanor. I never liked shoplifters, obviously, and I had to be pretty forceful on a few occasions... but I knew I wasn't hurting anything other than the shoplifters pride by holding him down. Most of my apprehensions happened inside. On that hot asphalt, they should have known that they were hurting the man...

Liability lawsuits can be a real bitch, and it looks like Walmart is about to have a really BIG one on their hands.