CLARKSTON, WA – A 27-year-old man who allegedly went into the Clarkston Walmart, exchanged his old tennis shoes for a new pair of work boots, and left without paying was arrested on Tuesday. According to an Asotin County Probable Cause Affidavit, Aerik Copell, who was previously trespassed from the store, was booked into the Asotin County Jail on a charge of 2nd-Degree Burglary.
The court document says a Walmart Loss Prevention Officer reportedly witnessed a male with “shaggy black hair and a black hooded sweatshirt” put on a pair of Brahma boots worth $48.48. He then allegedly stashed the box elsewhere in the store before leaving just after 11:00 a.m. and getting into a green Ford SUV with Idaho plates. Officers located the vehicle in the nearby Motel 6 parking lot and made a traffic stop.
“I arrived as the vehicle was coming to a stop,” an officer says in the affidavit. “From multiple LE contacts including previous [t]hefts from Walmart, I knew this vehicle to belong to Aerick Copell, and recognized him as the driver. I was also aware that Copell had active warrants through Asotin County as I had checked his name on my previous shift.”
As he was exiting his vehicle, a law enforcement officer allegedly saw drug paraphernalia.
“When he opened his door I noticed tin foil with burnt residue on it sitting in the driver’s door storage area,” the affidavit says. “I recognized this as a form of paraphernalia often associated with smoking fentanyl. I asked Copell about this paraphernalia and he immediately stated that it was used for cooking. I told Copell I doubted that.”
“Those pieces were last seen blowing Eastbound in a large wind gust,” the affidavit adds.
Meanwhile, during a patdown search, officers allegedly found other questionable items.
“During that search, I also felt a thin pen or tube shaped object in his pocket,” the document says. “I asked Copell if it was a device to ingest fentanyl (commonly referred to as a “hooter”) and he confirmed it was.
“The device appeared to contain dark colored residue and showed signs of heavy use, given that the portion nearest to the heated narcotics was melted,” the affidavit adds.
When questioned about his footwear, Copell reportedly told officers that he had purchased the boots he was now wearing.
While officers tended to the traffic stop and arrest of Copell, another officer met with the Walmart LPO.
“There, he was given a Brahma Work Boots box that had an obviously used pair of tennis shoes in it,” the affidavit states. “That Officer was notified that Copell was seen exchanging his used shoes for the brand new shoes, then exiting the store. Upon seeing the box with the boots pictured on [it], I recognized these to match the boots that Copell had on.”
