A Recent History of Ratchet Black Friday Moments

Black Friday is the year's biggest shopping day, and while it may seem like a paradise of deals, the experience is often more similar to navigating through the nine circles of hell. Sure, the allure of purchasing a 43" flatscreen television for a mere $300 might be attractive, but is it worth your time and possibly your health? Recent years have seen black eyes and Black Friday go hand-in-hand.

If you venture out on Black Friday in search of the perfect deal, we advise you to remain alert, especially if you're anywhere near a Walmart. Given this recent history of ratchet Black Friday moments, you'll need to prepare yourself.

Written by Julian Kimble (@JRK316)

RELATED: The Most Pathetic Black Friday Tweets

Follow @ComplexGuide

Year: 2005
Location: Orlando, FL

An Orlando Walmart completely abandoned common sense when employees began hurling laptops at eager customers like Hail Mary passes. Some reportedly went as high as 20 feet in the air, and to no surprise, people collided with each other like they were chasing down rebounds.

One man was arrested during the melee for fighting with a security guard and customers. Later, he was released after explaining that he was battling the plain-clothes security guards because he thought they were other customers.

Year: 2006
Location: Torrance, CA

It got ugly at the Del Amo Fashion Center when the standard gift certificate giveaway went awry. Rather than just hand them out as in years past, mall management decided it would be a good idea to drop 500 gift certificate-filled balloons from the ceiling to over 2,000 overzealous people. What else could happen other than complete mayhem?

People began fighting as if it was raining dollar bills from the heavens, and 10 people were hurt, including an elderly woman. Asking people to behave like civilized human beings is too much sometimes.

Year: 2008
Location: Long Island, NY

It's wise to stay away from Walmart on Black Friday. In 2008, there was a raucous stampede at a Long Island Walmart after some 2,000 people stormed the store five minutes prior to its opening. In a tragic turn, a 34-year-old temporary employee was trampled to death, and other employees were knocked over by rowdy customers. It got worse—a woman who was eight months pregnant and only trying to buy supplies for her child was found unconscious near the store's entrance.

She would later miscarry.

Year: 2008
Location: Palm Desert, CA

"Shots fired" and "Toys"R"Us" should never be mentioned in the same sentenced. Back in 2008, a "dispute" at a California location resulted in two men pulling out weapons and opening fire at each other. Who brings guns to Toys"R"Us? Apparently, two women got into an argument, and the men with them attempted to resolve the issue with firearms. The men shot each other to death, but thankfully, no one else was injured.

Year: 2010
Location: Madison, WI

Violence struck Toys"R"Us once again when a 21-year-old woman allegedly cut a line of several hundred people, then pulled a gun when confronted about it. Lanessa L. Lattimore was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, but no gun was recovered at the scene. She maintained that she's not the violent type, and that everyone was cutting the line. She said that she was only trying to get a toy for her daughter, which most likely would not be available if when she made a second attempt to purchase it.

Year: 2010
Location: Palm Beach, FL

Yup, Walmart again. Back in 2010, one man showed up to a Florida location prepared for the worst. Another shopper, who was convinced that the man had a gun, pointed him out to police. Authorities approached him to discover that he was armed with a .40-caliber Glock and a 30-round magazine. That's not it—the man also had two concealed knives, a "pepper grenade" and over 100 prescription pills on him.

Christopher Scott claimed to be a retired federal agent, but was still charged for carrying a concealed firearm, carrying a prohibited weapon, and possession of a controlled substance without prescription.

Year: 2010
Location; Waynesboro, GA

39-year-old Tracey Antonio Attaway was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a knife after stabbing Cpl. Phillip Duggan outside of a Best Buy. Duggan, 24, was collecting donations when he was attacked, and his fellow Marines held Attaway down until deputies arrived. Attaway was trying to flee the store after he was spotted liberating a Dell laptop and shoving it down his pants.

You have to be a real lowlife to attempt to steal a Dell, and then stab someone who's conducting a fundraiser.

Year: 2011
Location: Little Rock, AR

What's more American than a bunch of rabid customers fighting over $2 waffle irons at Walmart? People love their discounts, and what's a better deal than a waffle iron for $2? That's surely worth fighting for, right?

Year: 2011
Location: San Leandro, CA

There was yet another horrific incident at a California Walmart last year, when a man was shot by robbers while walking to his car in a crowded parking lot. The man reportedly tried to fight off his assailants as they attacked him. Luckily, the victim's family members were able to help him fight back, and held the robbers down until police arrived. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical, yet stable condition.

Year: 2011
Location: Rome, NY

Two women had to be hospitalized after a Walmart deal marked $200 smartphones down to $35, resulting in another stampede. Laurie Underwood was working for a third-party security firm and was simply monitoring electronics in the store when the rush for the phones left her injured. Both she and Melinda Wishart were taken to the hospital to be treated for their injuries.

Underwood said that the experience has forced her to do all of her holiday shopping from the safety of her own home.

Rome is burning.

Year: 2011
Location: Buckeye, AZ

Just avoid Walmart, please. Last year, Jerald Newman was busted by police for allegedly trying to shoplift. The 54-year-old man was seen shoving a video game into his pants, and was making his way to the exit when a cop took him out with a leg sweep. The man was accused of resisting arrest, and was left lying in a pool of blood before being carted off to jail.

However, the man's wife said that he was just trying to protect his grandson, and had stuffed the game into his waist to free his hands while helping the boy. The man was taken to the hospital to treat his injuries, then taken to jail and charged with shoplifting and resisting arrest.

Year: 2011
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC

A 55-year-old woman was left with a gunshot wound after a robbery attempt near a Walmart parking lot on Black Friday last year. The suspects demanded the woman's purse, and another woman says she was at the trunk of her vehicle when she heard a scream. That woman pulled out a gun of her own, firing several shots into the air that scattered the robbers. The victim was treated at a local hospital for her injuries.

Year: 2011
Location: Milford, CT

A 35-year-old woman was carjacked while waiting for her husband in a Lowe's parking lot last year. The woman was sitting in the vehicle with the engine running, when a ski-masked man got into the vehicle and ordered her out. The very lucky woman managed to escape the incident without injury.

Year: 2011
Location: Florence, AL

22-year-old Christopher Blake Pyron had to be subdued with a stun gun after wilding in Walmart, drunk and unruly. Police say they had to shock Pyron twice to take him down, then charged him with public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. What's especially horrible about Pyron's arrest is that he got locked up at 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving night, just hours after the store had opened to accommodate Black Friday shoppers.

The early bird got the 'cuffs here.

Year: 2011
Location: Milford, CT

Another man was stunned by police following a fight at a Walmart. 26-year-old Brian Shellnutt allegedly struck another customer while waiting in line to purchase a video game. An 11-year-old boy was knocked down during the fight, and Shellnutt confronted his father as he helped the boy up. Police used the device when Shellnutt ignored orders to stop fighting. He was charged with third-degree assault, second-degree breach of peace, and risk of injury to a minor.

Year: 2011
Location: Kissimmee, FL

During the wee hours of Black Friday last year, two men got into a scuffle at a Walmart jewelry counter. One man ended up in handcuffs after he fought back as police attempted to escort him out of the store, which forced them to slam him onto the ground and slap handcuffs on him. The man was charged with resisting arrest. Thankfully, nobody else was injured. In fact, his pride was the only thing that was hurt.

Year: 2011
Location: Fayetteville, NC

Shoppers were terrified when gunfire suddenly erupted at a shopping mall. The first shots rang out around 2 a.m. by a food court entrance, and a suspect allegedly fired more shots after running inside of the mall. No one was injured, but no one was excited about visiting that mall again for a while.

Year: 2011
Location: Porter Ranch, CA

Last year, when pepper spray was all the rage, a suburban Los Angeles woman allegedly sprayed other shoppers down at a local Walmart to give herself some space while trying to get access discounted Xbox 360s. The woman managed to flee the madness, but 20 people were injured, all thanks to her. Eventually, her conscience caught up with her and she turned herself in.

In a twist, 32-year-old Elizabeth Macias threatened to sue Walmart for failing to provide sufficient security during its Black Friday sale. Macias says that she deployed the pepper spray because her children were attacked while trying to get to the consoles.

Whatever the reasons, it's all shameful.