Language Barrier May Have Led to Taser Incident Involving Newton Woman
A Newton woman reportedly faces charges after an altercation outside a shopping mall Apple store.
Updated 4:30 p.m.
Nashua, NH, police say they had to use a Taser on a Newton, MA, woman yesterday while trying to arrest her at a mall, an incident that may have been the result of a language barrier.
Newton, Mass. resident Xiaojie Li was arrested Tuesday at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, NH, after she allegedly trespassed at the mall's Apple Store, New Hampshire's WMUR reported today.
According to the WMUR report, Xiaojie claims she cannot not speak English and didn't understand why the Apple Store called the police.
Xiaojie told WMUR she was attempting to buy several iPhones for family in China. Apple employees informed her she was limited to just two, but she claims she spotted other customers buying more than two phones. The store then asked Xiaojie to leave and requested a no-trespass order.
Xiaojie returned to the store on Tuesday and was asked to leave again. At that point, the store employees called police.
A nearby shopper caught video of the Taser incident, which shows police arresting Xiaojie. Viewers can hear the apparent screams from Xiaojie as well as the buzzing of the Taser.
For more information, read the full story on WMUR.
Updated 4:30 p.m.: Nashua Police say the use of the Taser was warranted in the arrest of a Newton woman at a shopping mall this week.
| Looking for more upates from Newton Patch? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or sign up for our email newsletters. |
Melanie Graham
9:58 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
A comment has been removed for inappropriate language.
Please remember to read through our terms of service before commenting: http://newton.patch.com/terms
Charles Hatch
9:22 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012
This woman should retain an attorney Immediately.
The Nashua New Hampshire Police Department has a
Long history of civil Law suits filed against them.
BobbyWong
12:58 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
Did language barrier led to the Apple store refusing to sell her iPhones? I suspect racism.
Google "Apple lifts iPhone limit" you'll see Apple had lifted the two per customer limit. I even called the Pheasant Lane Apple Store and was told I could buy more than two phones.
PeteM
2:49 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
With $16,000 in her bag, it sounds like she was looking for more than a couple of iPhones! Also, if she lives in Newton, why wasn't she shopping at the Chestnut Hill Mall? Oh, to avoid Sales Tax. Language barrier - only in her mind!
John
4:46 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
What's wrong if she was indeed trying to travel for a longer distance to avoid sale tax legally if she was planning on doing a large amount of purchase?
shishi.ralph
9:50 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
After reading this video is very angry! Think the future will tell all family and friends do not have the Apple phone .Why treat Chinese women of the language barrier so rude? and why the Apple store called the police? They can think of a way to find a translator to tell customers not to buy more (and I think can not buy more the stupid rules), there is no need to call the police, and called the police there is no need to use that a language is not universal weak woman species looks very violent arrest ... to hear the woman's screams, we can feel her pain ..... too terrible ... feeling such arrests by the police was horrible. ....