I think the police officer is in the wrong here, but imo the problems started because Walmart called the police. I have a friend who has worked in lost prevention at 2 different national chain stores, and both of them (at the time at least) had a policy that anyone stealing less than $40 of merchandise was pretty much left to go without much confrontation, or perhaps without any confrontation whatsoever. This story is an excellent example of why that policy is in place. If Walmart had let her go she would have stolen less than $14 worth of things. Even had it been malicious and intentional, so what. I can't imagine Walmart would decide, in retrospect, that this was worth less than $14.