The bizarre moment workers discovered a man sleeping on the ceiling at a Braum’s grocery store has been revealed in Norman Police Department bodycam footage.
Philip Hickman, 41, climbed to the ceiling and fell asleep sometime between midnight after closing time and 6 a.m. as employees arrived for work at Braum’s in Norman, Oklahoma, last month.
Police responded to a report of a possible break-in at 6:40 a.m. when workers discovered about 15 tiles had fallen from the ceiling and wiring and camera systems were damaged.
“Apparently someone broke in,” a worker said in the bodycam footage released Monday.
“I have a dummy on the ceiling,” an officer replies. “If you go up the ladder, he’s up in the rafters; You will see him about a meter away.’
Philip Hickman, 41, fell asleep on rafters in the ceiling of a grocery store in Norman, Oklahoma
After Hickman was arrested and taken into custody, he told police that he could not remember how he ended up in the store
Hickman was charged with burglary and malicious damage to property
“Hey partner, Norman Police, you better come out,” the officer said. “The guy is in the rafters, we can’t get him to move or do anything.”
An officer climbed onto the latter and saw Hickman lying on crossbeams in the ceiling, pretending to be sleeping.
Hickman did not respond, an official said, although the suspect was not visible in the footage due to the positioning of the body camera.
“The guy is in the rafters, we can’t get him to move or do anything.” “We have no idea how to take him down,” an officer can be heard saying.
“He’s up there taking a nap right now,” one said.
It remains unclear how Hickman was able to get to the hideout, as firefighters had to bring their large ladder and tools to help.
“We’re not sure how he got in,” an employee told the officer.
“Do you think he dug a hole in the roof?” said one.
It broke in sometime between midnight after the store closed and 6 a.m. when employees arrived for work
Braum employees discovered that approximately 15 tiles had fallen from the ceiling and the wiring and camera systems were damaged
It remains unclear how Hickman was able to get to the hideout, as firefighters had to bring their large ladder and tools to help.
“Is he acting like he doesn’t see anyone?” an officer asked.
“Yeah, he’s not doing anything, he’s just lying there,” said another.
It ultimately took about 30 minutes for police and firefighters to wake Hickman up and coax him out of the blanket.
“Just in time for breakfast,” an official said.
There were no immediate signs that Hickman was under the influence. The doors were locked and nothing on the roof looked suspicious.
Nothing was stolen from the grocery store and Hickman was just trying to secure a place to sleep, according to police.
“No other parts of the store look like they were disturbed or anything was stolen,” Sarah Schettler, public information officer for the Norman Police Department, told Newson6.
After Hickman was arrested and taken into custody, he told police that he could not remember how he ended up in the store.
Hickman caused approximately $1,000 in damage after he “crawled a short distance through the store,” which resulted in “pretty significant damage to the ceiling of the store.”
No other part of the store looks like it has been disturbed or had anything stolen
Hickman caused about $1,000 in damages after he “crawled through the store a ways,” which resulted in “pretty significant damage to the ceiling of the store,” Schettler said.
“What seemed like a simple act caused great damage,” Schettler said.
“The ceiling tiles and the bending of the frames in these ceiling areas, but also a lot of cables run through these areas.”
Hickman was charged with burglary and malicious damage to property.