Just when you thought Black Friday brawls couldn't get any more shocking! Watch woman use a 'STUN GUN' during fight in day of violence across America



The rush for Black Friday bargains has resulted in outbreaks of violence as shoppers clash over reduced price goods

Police in Virginia have reporting a stabbing incident after two men got into a fight in the car park over a space

In Las Vegas, thief shot shopper in his leg and stole his television, while cops in Chicago shot a man as he scuffled with a police officer



Shoppers cutting in line sparked a Black Friday Brawl at another Walmart



Several clips have already appeared on YouTube of the carnage at various Walmart stores

Some retailers opened their doors as early as 6am on Thanksgiving Day

A woman has apparently used a stun gun on a fellow shopper during a brutal punch up in the latest incident of Black Friday violence.

Video footage taken by a bystander shows the women exchanging blows inside the Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia at around 2.30am today - with not a single police officer in sight.



As they scrap on the floor, one of the women apparently uses a device that flashes blue and buzzes, apparently giving her nemesis a sharp shock.

Bewildered shoppers yell, 'No, stop!' before the woman's friend and other bystanders help pull her away from her attacker. It is not clear what caused the fight.

Violent: Two women can be seen fighting on the floor in a Philadelphia mall on Black Friday and one woman (left, in gray) apparently uses a stun gun on the woman in red

Attack: Other shoppers rush to pull the two women apart as the gun continues to flash blue Mall security officers told NBC Philadelphia that a fight did break out but they denied a taser had been used. They have not yet confirmed or denied whether a stun gun was used.

The mall, which opened at midnight on Black Friday, was just one of the locations across the country that witnessed horrifying violence as shoppers battled for the best bargains.



In one of the most violent incidents, a Las Vegas shopper was walking to an apartment complex after buying a big-screen television when a suspect approached him and fired a warning shot so that he dropped the device, 8 News Now reported.



The thief allegedly took the television to a nearby vehicle where another suspect was waiting and, as he loaded it inside, the victim tried to get the gadget back. The suspect then shot him in the leg.

Police in one Walmart store were on hand to break up a fight between two woman over a flat-screen television

The woman collapses to the ground, all the time trying to hold on to the TV, while the officer proceeds with an arrest

Violent: Chaotic scenes at a Walmart store after a reduced price pile of flat-screen televisions go on sale

The victim was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No description has been released for the vehicle or suspects and an investigation is ongoing.

Police in Virginia also reported a stabbing after two men got into a fight in the car park over a space at a Walmart store in Tazewell County around 6.30pm on Thursday.

Sheriff Brian Hieatt told WVVA that the incident occurred in the parking lot. Two men, 61-year-old Ronnie Sharp of Russell County and 35-year-old Christopher Jackson of Jewell Ridge in Tazewell County, were arguing over a parking space.



This escalated into a threat with a firearm, and then Hieatt says Sharp used a knife to cut Jackson in the arm, slicing down to the bone.

Sharp is charged with malicious wounding and brandishing a firearm. Police seized a rifle from him.

He is Southwest Regional Jail in Tazewell and is out on $5000 bond.

Packed: Shoppers gather in Brea Mall during Black Friday shopping on Friday in Brea, California

A large crowd of people try to get the attention of employees so they can to purchase reduced price items at a Walmart in Alexandria, Virginia

Scramble: People shop at a Gap factory store at LA's Citadel Outlets, which opened Thursday

Jackson, the victim, was treated at a local hospital before being taken to jail. He has been charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery, both misdemeanors. He is also on $5000 bond.

BLACK FRIDAY BY NUMBERS 147 million Number of Americans expected to shop over Thanksgiving weekend

33 million Number of people shopping on Thanksgiving

4.1 Expected percentage increase of holiday sales on last year

$602.1 billion Expected retail sales for the last two months of the year

22 Percentage boost to sales over Thanksgiving weekend for stores which extended their hours last year

$816 million Amount shoppers spent on Black Friday last year

$149 million Amount shoppers spent online on Thanksgiving last year

And in another shooting incident, police officers shot 51-year-old Robert Russell as they tried to stop three alleged shoplifters at a Kohl's store in Romeoville, Illinois just after 10pm on Thursday.

After Russell ran from the store, he jumped into the passenger seat of a car. When an officer tried to arrest him, he shut the door on his arm, causing the officer to be dragged alongside the vehicle.

Another officer shot at the car several times, hitting the driver, 52-year-old Charles Hinch, in the arm, the Chicago Sun Times reported.



The driver and the officer were both taken for hospital treatment of non-life-threatening shoulder injuries. Russell and Hinch were both arrested, along with another suspect, 28-year-old Gerald Chamberlain, who was still inside the store.



In California, a fight broke out in a Walmart parking lot in San Bernardino County, after shoppers jostled in line to take advantage of Black Friday door buster deals.

Tensions were high at the retail giant's Rialto location because shoppers were cutting in line, said Sgt. Nicholas Borchard, with the Rialto Police Department.

Excitement: A shopper takes a selfie as crowds pour into the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York Busy: Shoppers fill the sidewalk on Michigan Ave in Chicago on Friday, the year's biggest shopping day At least three people were involved in the brawl and two have been taken into custody, reports 4NBC. And in a New Jersey Wal-Mart a shopper was arrested after arguing over a cut-price television set, reports News 4 New York.

Richard Ramos, 23, of Passaic, reportedly became 'belligerent' while arguing with another shopper over a television set and then allegedly attacked a police officer when the manager called for help. More officers arrived on the scene and used pepper spray to subdue the violent customer.

He was charged with disorderly conduct, aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest, according to Garfield police. He's scheduled to appear in court Friday, police said.

And in another unsettling Walmart incident, women were filmed snatching boxes of cut-price Rachael Ray cookware sets in Knoxville, Tennessee. In the video, the shoppers can be seen trying to grab the sets - which are $89 down from $199.99 - from other people's hands.

Speaking out: A group of protesters walk through the Walmart retail store parking lot on Black Friday in Elgin, Illinois to protest the low wages they saw Walmart pays its employees Arrest: In Ontario, Wal-Mart protester Karl Hilgert, dressed as Santa Claus, hands Ontario police department Sgt. Pat Birkett a candy cane as Hilgert is arrested for failure to disperse Red, white and blue: Hilgert, pictured as he is led away, was part of a labor group demonstrating against wages Cuffed: Hilgert is led away after being arrested at the demonstration, where around 100 people gathered Anger: The group is part of a national campaign against the low wages at the store Trouble: Police gather outside a Kohl's in Romeoville, Illinois after a shoplifter allegedly dragged a police officer alongside his vehicle. Another police officer shot at the driver, injuring him in the arm Walmart spokesperson Brooke Buchanan has denied that such scenes accurately depict the Black Friday shopping experience at the retailer. 'We've got great feedback from customers and associates across the country,' she told The Huffington Post. 'A few tweets aren't representative of what's actually happening at 4,600 stores.' The holiday shopping season kicked off much earlier this year, as at least a dozen national retail chains from Macy's to Gap to Target opened their stores on Thanksgiving Day.

Lines of customer flocked to K-Mart at 6am on Thanksgiving morning and more than a dozen retailers opened their doors to shoppers one day ahead of the famed Black Friday shopping day.

The holiday openings came despite planned protests from workers' rights groups that are opposed to employees working on the holiday instead of spending the day with family. In the past few years, retailers have pushed opening times into Thanksgiving night. They've also pushed up discounting that used to be reserved for Black Friday into early November, which has led retail experts to question whether the Thanksgiving openings will steal some of Black Friday's thunder. A long group of people, some of which waited for many hours, wait in line for an opportunity to buy televisions at reduced prices during a Black Friday sale at a Walmart on Thanksgiving Day in Alexandria, Virginia

Go team! Best Buy employees rally after a pep talk as they prepare to open the store to shoppers Choices: Shoppers consider televisions for sale at the Walmart in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles

Anything for a bargain: Shoppers have descended on stores across the country including this Toys-R-Us store in Fairfax, Virginia on Thanksgiving

Shoppers wait on line outside the Times Square branch of Toys-R-Us on Thanksgiving. Instead of waiting for Black Friday, which is typically the year's biggest shopping day, more than a dozen major retailers opened early on Thanksgiving

Join the line: Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts have already banned stores from opening on Thanksgiving, but elsewhere opening hours are getting even earlier with Thanksgiving now dubbed 'Gray Thursday'

Overall, The National Retail Federation expects retail sales to be up 3.9 per cent to $602.1 billion during the last two months of the year. That's higher than last year's 3.5 per cent growth, but below the 6 percent pace seen before the recession.

Analysts expect sales to be generated at the expense of profits as retailers will likely have to do more discounting to get people into stores.

The steady creep of the Thanksgiving sales has some critics saying that the annual bargain frenzy has gone too far and more should be done to preserve the day as a traditional family occasion.



One employee at Menlo Park Mall in New Jersey launched a petition to not open on Thanksgiving.

'The fact that we may not even be granted the same relaxation or be able to spend a National Holiday that gives thanks for our families with our family is absolutely and indubitably absurd!' the worker wrote.

In Arizona, one customer who shopped at Kmart in Wiles-Barre Township said, 'I feel sorry for the workers. 'Thanksgiving should be time for family.'

'I have mixed feelings about it, because I think you ought to be able to enjoy your holiday and not worry about shopping,' added Janet David, of Plano, Texas.

Tired out: Dorothy Santos takes a break while shopping during Black Friday at Brea Mall in California

Too much to handle: A shopper naps on a recliner at Sears during Black Friday shopping at Brea Mall Happy customer: A man poses for a photograph with his shopping bags and a statue of hall of fame Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach on Black Friday in Boston

All stocked up: Shoppers leave with their purchases after Black Friday shopping at Brea Mall early Friday

But most outlet managers and indeed the outlets themselves say that they would not have maintained these hours unless it was supported by customer demand.

Simon Malls, who owns Menlo Park Mall, said that their extended holiday hours 'are designed to meet customers needs and reflect changing consumer behavior'.

About 15,000 shoppers were at the flagship Macy's Herald Square in New York City right before the doors opened on Thursday, according to Terry Lundgren, CEO of the chain.

Lundgren, who was at the entrance, said they knew it had to open when it found out other competitors were planning to open on Thanksgiving night. He said his employees had been positive about the opening times.



'We're a competitive group,' he said. 'It's very clear they (the shoppers) want to be here at 8 p.m.'

Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts have already banned stores from opening on Thanksgiving. But elsewhere opening hours are getting even earlier with Thanksgiving Day now dubbed 'Gray Thursday.'

K-Mart opened at 6am on Thursday and will remain open for 41 hours straight in 'the triple doorbuster' sale to appease bargain hunters.

Best Buy and Walmart opened their doors at 6 pm on Thursday, while Macy's, Target, JCPenney, Kohl's and Sears welcomed shoppers to its stores at 8 pm.



Kmart defended its decision to open on Thanksgiving at 6am saying that it has been doing that for the past 22 years.

Barbie and televisions for Christmas: Stephanie Torres stocks up on Barbie dolls during Kmart's Thanksgiving Day doorbuster sale at the Addison St. Store in Chicago, while Luis Torres piles a TV into his trolley

Rosa Rodriguez picks up a tablet and a laptop during the doorbuster deal at a Chicago Kmart store on Thanksgiving 'We understand many associates want to spend time with their families during the holiday,' the company said. 'With this in mind Kmart stores do their very best to staff with seasonal associates and those who are needed to work holidays. All associates who work on Thanksgiving are compensated with holiday pay.' However, some national chains have decided to stay closed on the national holiday, keen to present a more traditional front. Nordstrom wrote on its Facebook page, 'We won't be decking our halls' until Black Friday because 'we like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time.'

Trader Joe's, Burlington Coat Factory, TJ Maxx, BJ's Wholesale Club, Costco, Home Depot, Dillards, and Marshall's are also choosing to stay closed this 'Gray Thursday.' The National Retail Federation has estimated that 33 million people will spend money on Thanksgiving, either in stores or online, accounting for nearly a quarter of the whole weekend's total shoppers.



Waiting: Katie Stroh, left, and Gretchen Burkhardt look at catalogs while waiting outside a Kmart store on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Anaheim, California

Across the country, a staggering 17 percent of consumers - or 41 million people - are expected to shop on Thanksgiving, according to a consumer holiday tracking survey by The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs.

And for retailers, it makes sense. Last year, stores which extended their hours saw sales soar by up to 22 per cent over the weekend, while those retailers that did not lost up to 8 per cent.



The National Retail Federation predicts 147 million Americans will shop over Thanksgiving weekend, and that there will be an increase of holiday sales of 4.1 per cent on last year.



Stores are enticing shoppers with discounts including $7 board games at Target, $19 sweaters at Gap and $299 Toshiba 50-inch LEDs at Sears - down from $849.

Aware that many customers plan to shop online, Target and Best Buy are also matching prices offered by online competitors such as Amazon.com, Bloomberg reported.



And in some stores, there will be kiosks and mobile checkouts to integrate online and in-store shopping, while Apple customers can simply scan their products and pay remotely.

Bargain Hunters; Shoppers wait outside a Kmart store for it to open on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Anaheim, California instead of waiting for Black Friday

Dedication: A man tries to stay warm while waiting in line outside the Best Buy store in Burbank, California for the store to open on Thanksgiving Day Sales: People Camping Out For Black Friday Sales At Best Buy. Even with weather down in the 40's overnight, it didn't discourage people waiting since Tuesday for Black Friday Sales on Flatscreen televisions and more

Independent stores and entire malls nationwide are also opening early. In South Florida, for example, Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater and Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise each open at 9pm on Thursday for 24 hours.



With stores opening earlier, the retail industry has crossed the Black Friday barrier and it might creep further forward still, Kimberly Taylor, an associate professor from Florida International University, told the Miami Herald.



'It is becoming almost a whole season,' she said. 'Where is it going to end? Will it take away the whole Black Friday if it is the whole week or the whole season?'



There will also be early sales online as discounts are offered ahead of the Internet's equivalent of Black Friday - Cyber Monday.