It’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving when a store surveillance camera catches Wendell tucking a laptop computer under his jacket. "Doesn’t look like he intends to buy that one," says a store security officer.

The private security man keeps a sharp eye on the thief until the guy heads for the exit without passing through a check-out stand.

Confronted at an exit door, Wendell gets belligerent, socks the guy in the face with his fist, pulls a knife and makes a wide sweeping motion with the blade. The security guy yells, "Stop thief!" as Wendell runs out the door.

Just outside, four U. S. Marine reservists are gathered together at a "Toys for Tots" station collecting toys for Christmas for needy children. They hear the security guard’s cry for help and see Wendell running with a knife in his hand.

The Marines block Wendell’s path but Wendell bursts through, stabbing one of the Marines in the back. The other three chase and tackle Wendell a short distance away. The laptop is recovered although somewhat damaged in the scuffle.

The injured Marine is taken to a local hospital where he’s treated for a stab wound, although the injury is not life threatening.

Wendell, on the other hand, is rendered unconscious after he’s tackled by the three Marines. He’s taken by ambulance to a local hospital where emergency room nurses are asked by The Augusta Chronicle about the shoplifter’s condition.

A nurse says, "You must mean the guy that stabbed the Marine. He’s being treated for a broken leg, two broken arms, cracked ribs, and an assortment of cuts and bruises."

Authorities say the injuries may have happened during the capture, "but we have no idea how that happened." The sheriff’s office is investigating the incident as a grand larceny, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Meanwhile, the Marines are back asking for donations to the "Toys for Tots" program. Semper Fi!