A LAWYER has explained when it’s acceptable for Walmart employees to keep an alleged shoplifter from leaving the store in one state.

Ugo Lord, a business lawyer with nearly seven million followers on TikTok, reacted to one customer’s interaction with a worker.

“Walmart employee gets physical and holds me hostage after I paid for my stuff!!” the original poster wrote over the clip Lord replied to on his account @ugolord.

In the video, a Walmart worker can be seen trying to prevent a customer from leaving, presumably because he believed the shopper was stealing.

“Go get your manager,” the customer said.

But the worker refused and told the shopper he should do it instead.

“I’m not going to get your manager,” the original poster said.

“It’s not on me to get him. You’re the one stopping me.

“Here’s my receipt. Now you’re holding me hostage against my will.”

Lord said if the store is in California, the worker would be wrong here if the customer did in fact present a valid receipt with all the items.

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He went on to explain the state’s “Shopkeeper’s Law.”

“A store employee has the legal right to stop and prevent you from leaving the store if there is a reasonable belief that you stole something from that store,” the attorney said.

“This man showed his receipt, and upon doing that there’s no longer any reasonable suspicion that something was stolen making Walmart guilty of false imprisonment.”

Many commenters were upset with the employee’s conduct.

“Walmart needs to stop with that,” one said.

Another noted that the worker was breaking the chain’s rules.

“Walmart employees are not allowed to do this and it is against policy,” they said.

“They can only ask for a receipt, you can walk past them.”

Another commenter wanted to know if the customer could pursue a lawsuit.

“So now can that man take legal action against Walmart?” they asked.

“Absolutely!” Lord replied.

Walmart didn’t immediately respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.