Pierre and Angel went shopping at a local grocery store. The store manager, Louis, saw Pierre and Angel in the store and immediately began videotaping them with the store’s security system. Louis knew Pierre from a previous dispute over the price of merchandise.
Pierre and Angel completed shopping and paid for their groceries. Angel put the receipt in her purse. Upon leaving the store, Pierre and Angel realized they had purchased the wrong type of over the counter cold medicine. Pierre returned to the store to exchange the cold medicine. Upon reentering the store, Pierre informed the store clerk of his intent to exchange the cold medicine. Pierre left the cold medicine at a vacant checkout counter. Pierre returned to the drug aisle and obtaining a different cold medicine. Pierre also grabbed some bottled water. Pierre then proceeded to a checkout register, where he told a different clerk he already had paid for the cold medicine (same price), paid for the water, and left the grocery store.
Meanwhile, Louis, the store manager, asked the clerk who checked Pierre out the second time whether Pierre had paid for the cold medicine. The clerk said no. Louis pursued Pierre outside the store. Louis apprehended Pierre in the parking lot and asked him to return to the store. Pierre complied. Louis and another store employee escorted Pierre to the store’s security room and began questioning him about the cold medicine. Pierre explained what he had done.
Pierre was told he could not leave the store’s security room. Louis then called the local police department. A police officer responded 30 minutes later. Louis showed the office the portion of the surveillance videotape beginning when Pierre reentered the store and left without paying for the second box of cold medicine. Louis had surveillance footage of both times Pierre entered and left the store. The officer then asked Angel to come into the store’s security room. She explained to the officer and Louis that Pierre simply wanted to exchange the cold medicine. She shared with them the original receipt
The police arrested Pierre for theft and Angel for being an accessory to the crime; however, their criminal cases were dismissed.
What tort action(s) might Pierre and even Angel have against the Louis and/or the store?
Select the law of the jurisdiction where you live in answering this question. Be specific as to the elements of the tort(s) that must be present for one or both to win their tort cases?
What damages might be awarded? Angel sought mental health counseling after this incident and is now afraid to grocery shop?
Bonus one point: Are you able to find a case similar to this one?