What to make of this?

North Beacon Hill/Fri Dec 17/10:43 am: Officer Scott Hatzenbeuhler reports: “At approximately 1043 the victim, the Loss Prevention Supervisor, observed suspect enter the store and walk towards the shoe department. Victim noticed suspect was wearing black Nikes with a white Nike symbol on them. He watched suspect select a pair of white Nikes with a gold symbol on the side ($12.99 value). Then suspect removed the Nikes he was wearing and put on the ones he selected. Victim watched suspect walk around the men's department carrying his old shoes in his hands. Suspect eventually placed his old shoes on the rack and walked towards the front of the store. Suspect bypassed all points of purchase and left the store without paying for the shoes.
“Victim said that suspect’s stride was pretty long and it took him some time to catch up to him. Suspect is approx. 6-7/195. Victim caught up to suspect in the southwest corner of the parking lot near the drop-off bins. Victim said he verbally identified himself as security and by a badge he wore around his neck, but suspect refused to stop. Victim attempted to detain suspect by taking hold of his upper left arm. Suspect turned around and punched him with a closed right fist, striking victim on the left temple/cheek. Victim said during the ensuing fight/struggle, suspect punched him four more times. Victim said he eventually was able to take suspect to the ground with a leg sweep. Once on the ground, victim said suspect continued to struggle and kept trying to get up. Eventually, other employees ran over and one assisted him in taking suspect into custody.
“Suspect was already in handcuffs. I asked him what was going on, and he said, ‘It’s a crack thing.’ Suspect went on to explain that he had been on a crack binge for the past four days. He said he was facing a third strike and that he had nothing to lose.”

First, which store on Beacon Hill is selling Nikes for under 13 bones? That store is practically giving them away for free. This brings me to my second point: If the store value of those sneakers is already $13, their street value must be next to nothing, and next to nothing is hardly enough for any kind of drug. Thirdly, and this relates again to the very low value of the shoes, a man who is willing to risk life in prison for a cheap pair of sneakers is a man who will find few sympathizers in this society. He believes he had nothing to lose; we on the saner side of society can obviously see that he had everything to lose. And everything came down to those "sneakers on his feet."