Olympian’s life is destroyed after she forgot to scan asparagus and ham at Walmart self-checkout
A former Olympian told how her life was destroyed after she forgot to scan asparagus and ham at a Walmart self-checkout.
Canadian athlete Meaggan Pettipiece, 48, was arrested in Indiana on March 28 for theft, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance.
The charges have since been dropped, but Pettipiece lost her prestigious job as a result and says her career and reputation have been ruined.
Her downfall began after Walmart security reported that the coach of the US softball team had forgotten to scan some food items at a self-checkout.
Police searched Pettipiece and found three disposable vape pens in her purse, along with two unopened blister packs of the anti-nausea medication Zofran.
Charges against the Blenheim, Ontario, athlete were dropped on Sept. 19, but she said the incident “changed everything.”
Meaggan Pettipiece, 48, was arrested in Indiana for theft, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance – but the charges have since been dropped
“It’s twofold,” Pettipiece said. National Post‘I am of course pleased that the charges have been dropped.
‘The sad thing is the damage it did to my career. It changed everything in my life.
“It’s been five months, a living nightmare. I lost my career, I lost my job, the life I was building and it’s been really hard.”
Shortly after the Walmart incident, Pettipiece resigned as head coach of the NCAA Division 1 softball team at Valparaiso University in Indiana.
Police arrested the softball coach at the supermarket and discovered that $67 worth of items, including asparagus and ham, had not been scanned.
According to local news reports in March, she paid $167 worth of other items.
During Pettipiece’s arrest and subsequent search, police found the vapes and anti-nausea medications.
“It was so ridiculous,” Pettipiece said, adding that she was unaware that the self-checkout clerk had not read some of the articles.
The former athlete added that the vapes contained no nicotine or THC and that the pills were available by prescription from an assistant coach who had asked her to keep a close eye on them when they went to a softball game.
“We both forgot about them,” she said.
The Valparaiso Beacons softball team confirmed that Pettipiece resigned on April 1.
Canadian athlete Meaggan Pettipiece, 48, was arrested in Indiana on March 28 for theft, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance – but the charges have since been dropped
Charges against the athlete from Blenheim, Ontario, were dropped on September 19, but she said the incident ‘changed everything in my life’
“The softball community is a close-knit group and it (news) spread like wildfire,” Pettipiece told the National Post.
“You really learn who the people are who really believe in you, trust you, and are really a friend to you.”
After her arrest, the trial was postponed until her attorney’s request for dismissal was approved.
The judges considered Pettipiece’s account of the incident, evidence of her assistant’s prescription for medication and letters of recommendation before reaching their verdict.
Pettipiece played softball for Canada at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was a reserve for the 2004 Olympic team.