Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Olympian Reveals How Walmart Self-Checkout Debacle Turned Her Life Into 'Living Nightmare'

Meaggan Pettipiece; Walmart self-check out
Meaggan Pettipiece/Facebook, Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Former Canadian Olympic softball player Meaggan Pettipiece had her entire life and career derailed after a Walmart self-checkout kiosk failed to scan some ham and asparagus she was purchasing, leading to her arrest.

Things went south for a former Olympian who was arrested and lost her job as an NCAA Division 1 softball coach after she reportedly failed to scan items meant for purchase properly at a Walmart self-checkout kiosk.

Meaggan Pettipiece, formerly the head coach of the Valparaiso University softball team, said her life has been a "living nightmare" after the self-checkout machine at a Walmart location in Indiana didn't register her purchases of asparagus and ham when she visited the store on March 28.


Store security reportedly called the police after they alleged that Pettipiece failed to scan the items, worth $67, even though she paid $176 for the other groceries, and explained she didn't know the machine didn't register the items.

She was arrested anyway.


When officers searched her purse, they found three disposable vapes as well as two unopened blister packs containing the anti-nausea medication Zofran.

In addition to being charged with theft, the former softball player—who played outfield for the Canadian national team in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games—was charged with possession of marijuana and a controlled substance.

Following the news headlines of her arrest that swept across the Hoosier State, Pettipiece resigned as head coach for the Valparaiso softball team on April 1.

An investigation later found that the self-checkout machine did not register the items she meant to purchase.

Additionally, Pettipiece said the vapes did not contain nicotine or THC, nor did the anti-nausea pills, which she was asked to hold for an assistant coach during a game days before the arrest and had forgotten about them.

The incident left the internet buzzing about the inherent problems associated with the "convenience" of self-checkout.





People continued sharing their thoughts.




The National Post reported that justice officials dismissed the charges after Pettipiece's lawyer submitted an application for dismissal earlier in September that included her account of the incident, proof of her assistant’s prescription, and character reference letters.

“It is bittersweet,” she told the newspaper, recalling the incident having "a living nightmare" impact on her life and career. “I’m happy, obviously, the charges were dismissed. The sad part is the damage it did to my career. It has changed everything in my life.”

She continued:

“I lost my career, I lost my job, the life I was building and it’s been really difficult."

As coach at Valparaiso, she was living in Indiana away from her home in Ohio. Now, Pettipiece is accentuating the positive in light of the debacle.

“I’m happy my family’s all back together," she said. "We sacrificed as a family for me to be there coaching and continuing my coaching career.”

However, Pettipiece noted that her career now has “damage that can’t be reversed" and wonders if news of being exonerated of the charges will change people's perception of her.

“The tough thing is, how do you get out to people that you are innocent? And this damage was done for something so ridiculous," she wondered.

Now that she's cleared to teach again, Pettipiece is considering a different option of building a career as a softball umpire at the collegiate level rather than coaching.

She told the newspaper:

“I’m not sure of the future. For now, I’m going to stay at home and focus on my kids. I’d like to figure out which direction I’m going to go in.”

More from News

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less