The bizarre moment when workers at a Braum’s supermarket discovered a man sleeping in the ceiling has been revealed in bodycam footage captured by Norman police.
Philip Hickman, 41, climbed into the ceiling and fell asleep sometime between midnight after the store closed and 6 a.m. when employees arrived to work at a Braum’s in Norman, Oklahoma, last month.
Police responded to a report of a possible burglary at 6:40 a.m. when workers discovered that approximately 15 tiles had fallen from the ceiling and wiring and camera systems were damaged.
“Apparently someone broke in,” an employee can be heard saying on the bodycam footage released on Monday.
“There’s a dummy in the ceiling,” an officer answers. “When you go up the ladder, it’s in the rafters; you’ll see him about five feet away.’
Philip Hickman, 41, went upstairs and fell asleep on crossbeams in the ceiling of a supermarket in Norman, Oklahoma
After Hickman was arrested and taken into custody, he told police he had no memory of how he ended up in the store.
Hickman has been charged with burglary and malicious damage to property
“Hey partner, Norman Police, you better come out,” the officer said. “That man is in the rafters, we can’t move him or do anything.”
An officer climbed into the latter and saw Hickman, who was lying on crossbeams in the ceiling and pretending to be asleep.
Hickman did not respond, an officer said, although the suspect cannot be seen in the footage due to the position of the body camera.
‘The man is in the rafters, we can’t move him or do anything. We have no idea how to take him down,” an officer can be heard saying.
“He’s just up there taking a nap,” someone said.
It remains unclear how Hickman was able to reach the shelter, as firefighters had to bring in their large ladder and tools to assist.
“We’re not sure how he got in,” an employee told the officer.
“Do you think he dug a hole in the roof?” said one.
He broke in sometime between midnight after the store closed and 6 a.m. when employees arrived for work
Braum’s employees discovered that approximately fifteen tiles had fallen from the ceiling and that the wiring and camera systems were damaged
It remains unclear how Hickman was able to reach the shelter, as firefighters had to bring in their large ladder and tools to assist.
“Is he pretending he doesn’t see anyone?” an officer asked.
“Yes, he doesn’t do anything, he just lies there,” said another.
It ultimately took about 30 minutes for police officers and firefighters to wake Hickman and lure him out of the ceiling.
“Just in time for breakfast,” an officer said.
There were no immediate signs that Hickman was under the influence. The doors were locked and nothing on the roof looked suspicious.
Nothing was stolen from the supermarket and Hickman just wanted a place to sleep, according to police.
“No other part of the store looks like there has been any disturbance or anything taken,” Sarah Schettler, public information officer for the Normandy Police Department, said. Newson6.
After Hickman was arrested and taken into custody, he told police he had no memory of how he ended up in the store.
Hickman caused approximately $1,000 in damage after “crawling a ways through the store,” resulting in “pretty significant damage to the ceiling of the store”
No other part of the store looks like there has been any disturbance or anything taken
Hickman caused about $1,000 in damage after “crawling a ways through the store,” which resulted in “pretty significant damage to the ceiling of the store,” Schettler said.
“What may have seemed like a simple act caused quite a bit of damage,” Schettler said.
“The ceiling tiles and the bending of frames in those ceiling areas, but there’s also a lot of wiring running through those areas.”
Hickman has been charged with burglary and malicious damage to property.