By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to the Nike Factory Store at Assembly Row on Sunday on a report of a shoplifter who had fled the store.

The suspect, James Perry, had been caught stealing from Kmart earlier in the day, so police were familiar with his clothing and appearance. The Nike store management the officers that Perry had taken off the hat and vest he was wearing in an attempt to throw them off.

After a brief search of the area, Perry was located on the MBTA train stop platform. The officers observed that he was sweating and out of breath, though the temperature was only in the mid-thirties.

Perry was not wearing the grey hat and black vest he had been wearing earlier, and was instead wearing a grey sweatshirt.

Nike management told police that Perry had concealed a pair of sneakers in a reusable bag, though he did not have any property with him when he was stopped.

The officers repeatedly asked Perry where the bag and stolen merchandise were, and he insisted he had no bag and did not steal anything.

When the officers brought up the numerous cameras at Assembly Row, as well as the fact that he had been caught shoplifting from Kmart, Perry reportedly stated, “Yeah, but I already worked out a deal with Kmart,” referring to their corporate jail diversion program.

Based on information from Nike and Kmart, coupled with their observations of Perry, the officers placed him under arrest for shoplifting by concealing merchandise.

According to reports, soon as he was handcuffed Perry immediately began to cry and said that he would tell police where the bag with the merchandise was. When he realized he would not be released, he then refused to cooperate. Perry was subsequently transported to the police station for booking.

Police conducted a follow-up at Assembly Row Security, and via surveillance camera, was able to view Perry flee from Nike, eventually taking off his black vest and grey hat, and hiding them and the reusable bag under a bush in Draw Seven Park.

Police officers went to the location where Perry was seen on camera ditching the items in question and located them. Perry’s grey hat, black vest, and the stolen Nike sneakers, which were valued at $79.99, were found inside the reusable bag.