Mall Cops: Mall of America had its Season 1, Episode 1 premiere on TLC Thursday night along with Episode 2, with the former focusing on Black Friday. This program runs half an hour in duration sans commercial interruptions. Mall Cops: Mall of America is fast-moving and engaging. Episodes 1 and 2 have already shown that the people showcased at this massive shopping complex aren’t just a bunch of dumb flunkees, like they are often perceived as so by the public.
The Thrills and Spills of Black Friday Highlight Mall Cops: Mall of America, Season 1, Episode 1
It’s a few hours before Black Friday on November 27, and Major Doug Reynolds briefs his staff, saying he wants no stampedes from the early shoppers, part of the record 185,000 shoppers to hit this retail venue the day after Thanksgiving. Many are hoping to win a $5,000 shopping spree. The security staff has to be on the lookout for people doing banned things, like dancing, doing handstands, trying out their flying helicopters, etc. Sgt. Hines has to ask one patron to stop acting up twice on the Season 1, Episode 1 premiere of Mall Cops: Mall of America.
Officer Kyle Maitrejean is on the lookout for the “Handbag Mafia” shoplifting ring, and heads after one suspect (who just allegedly stole from a store) via foot pursuit at the Mall of America. Luckily, an undercover officer and Bloomington police nab the alleged thief, who allegedly took over $1,500 worth of merchandise. Maitrejean called his experience “interesting” and “an adrenaline rush”, but ended his extremely long day in the Bloomington, Minnesota shopping complex by helping a patron find her car.
Officer Beau Johnson, another one of the security staff, has to approach a hooded character who was applying makeup in the Season 1, Episode 1 premiere. And upon confronting him, he finds the man is acting paranoid and strange. The police check him out and discover he has a knife, but the man backs down and is convinced to leave the Mall of America.
A bell ringer asks for help from First Responder Sgt. Rowe over a medical condition, but then she has a more serious problem in the food court where a child has a seizure. Rowe helps her regain consciousness and breathe better as she’s taken away in ambulance on Mall Cops: Mall of America, Season 1, Episode 1.
Officer Osuji is on the 3rd Level, where he has to deal with an intoxicated man who allegedly drank a bottle of wine without paying for it. Other officers couldn’t get the guy to be moved peacefully from a restaurant, so the staff and police had to tussle with the miscreant, who eventually pooped in his underwear. Capt. Rosen helped process the “D&D” before he was shipped to jail.
Some Minnesota Vikings Are the Focus on Mall Cops: Mall of America Season 1, Episode 2 on TLC
Scott Studwell is going to be inducted into the Vikings Ring of Fame and there’s a shindig on his behalf at America’s largest shopping complex as seen on Season 1, Episode 2. Sgt. Rowe has to answer a call on behalf of one of the 11,000 venue employees, who feels like she’s being “stalked” with strange gifts on Season 1, Episode 2 of Mall Cops: Mall of America. The police get involved later and find that a condom is in one of the gifts, and the other officers are put on alert to find this stalker, who is eventually found out. The weirdo is warned by police to stay away from the woman and her place of employment.
Officer Packard patrols the outside of the massive building with a bike for incidents with cars but gets to help keep order during the Minnesota Vikings event, where Carl Eller and other Purple People Eaters will also be seen during Mall Cops: Mall of America, Season 1, Episode 2. He gets to be in charge of the V.I.P. area, and gets a thrill from hanging around the local celebrities.
Sgt. Hinz has to respond to a fight at the food court in the venue with a swarm of other officers. The fighters were taken away but the officer had an injury to her toenail area. Meanwhile, Officer Murphy and Bear (his dog companion) get to be around a bunch of doggies getting their photo with Santa. A car fire outside the main complex brings out several officers, including Lt. Bugler, but everything gets taken care of, though the car gets really “cooked” on Mall Cops: Mall of America, Season 1, Episode 2.
Officer Badowich has to caution a cross dresser to put on some britches, then he has to deal with a drunken senior citizen who’s urinated on himself. But the drunk starts acting like he wants a fight, saying threatening things, but he finally decides to chill out and leave the shopping venue via train.
Sources:
“Black Friday” and “Vikings Fever”, Mall Cops: Mall of America, May 27, 2010, TLC
