A manager at the Winn-Dixie on Brownswitch Road suffered minor injuries Tuesday afternoon after trying to stop a shoplifter from leaving the store’s parking lot.

According to a Slidell police report, the incident started when a store employee noticed a white male walking out of the store without paying for three bottles of liquor. Police spokesman Capt. Kevin Foltz said the liquor was valued at $150.

The manager approached the suspect and told him to either pay for the merchandise or return the bottles. The suspect refused and walked out of the store. The manager followed the suspect to his car, a light-green Toyota van.

Witnesses said the manager got in front of the van trying to stop the suspect from leaving. However, the suspect inched the van forward until it was touching the manager, who actually held on to the hood of the van.

The suspect then took off in the van with the manager hanging on. The van stopped abruptly, but the manager would not let go of the hood. Foltz said at that point, one witness ran up to the van and reached inside to try and grab the ignition key, but the suspect tried to bite the witness’s hand. The witness withdrew his hand, and the suspect then sped up the van, “swerving violently,” which threw the manager off. Foltz said the man was thrown to the pavement and got a small, “quarter-size” abrasion on the back of his head.

The suspect left the parking lot headed east on Brownswitch Road. Foltz said the van had Washington state license plates.

Foltz said the manager did the wrong thing in the situation.

“It was not the smartest thing to do. He could have lost his life over $150 worth of liquor,” Foltz said. He reminded residents that a car can turn into a 2,000-pound weapon and kill someone.

In situation like that, Foltz recommends victims and witnesses get the license plate number and know which direction the vehicle is headed.

“It isn’t worth getting hurt of killed trying to stop the suspect,” Foltz said.