Pregnant Woman Accused of Hiding Merchandise Under Her Shirt

A Pineville, North Carolina, store manager has been fired after a pregnant woman says she was falsely accused of hiding merchandise under her shirt.

"I'm very pregnant, I don't need any additional stress," said Shirell Bates, who is 34 weeks pregnant with twins.

Bates decided to make a quick run to Staples to stock up on some back-to-school supplies for her son Friday afternoon.

"I figured I would go in there, grab a few items and be on my way," she said.

She said she spent about 15 minutes walking around the store.

"About half of the time, I had a store employee helping me find the items I needed," Bates said.

When she was finishing up, she checked her cart to make sure she had everything she needed and got in line to pay.

"Things took a turn at the register, mid-transaction," Bates said.

The mom said a police officer approached her and asked her to step aside.

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