Menards sued over claims security officer wrongly accused man of theft

A man is suing a Menards store and its security officers over claims he was wrongly accused of retail theft.

Robert Caldwell filed a lawsuit Nov. 13 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Menard Inc., US Security Associates Inc. and STO Security Inc., citing false arrest/imprisonment, malicious prosecution, defamation per se and conversion.

According to the complaint, Kegann Smith and Rick Denault were employees of Menards, Security and/or STO and were working at the Menards store in Bradley, where Caldwell was shopping with his wife on Nov. 17, 2011 at the store.

Caldwell claims that after purchasing several hundred dollars worth of merchandise exiting the store, Smith confronted him and accused him of retail theft. Caldwell contends Smith apprehended him in front of the public and called the local police department.

According to the complaint, Caldwell was arrested, placed in custody in a jail cell and charged with retail theft by the Kankakee County State Attorney's Office. Caldwell says the criminal proceedings were later terminated by means of nolle prosequi.

Caldwell is seeking damages in excess of $75,000 and is being represented in the case by attorney Hall Adams.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2013L012666.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Cook County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it represents only one side of the story.