Why was Huntsman City Councilman Devyn Keith arrested? Legislator issues statement after shocking Walmart incident

On Thursday, February 3, 2023, Huntsville City Councilman Devyn Keith was arrested after he was accused of shoplifting at Walmart. Devyn Keith, who is serving his second term on the Huntsville City Council, was subsequently charged with one count of theft of property, which covers shoplifting of items costing $500 or less.

Addressing the incident in a Facebook post, Keith apologized for what he described as an oversight in paying for a $20 pair of headphones. Keith said that after purchasing several items at a self-checkout counter in Walmart, he walked out of the store without paying for the headphones in his cart. He was then stopped by the staff, who alerted the authorities.

In the post, Keith took accountability for the incident, noting that he was not above the law and vowed to be more responsible in the future.

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Devyn Keith was booked into Madison County Jail after he was accused of shoplifting headphones from Walmart

Huntsville City Councilman Devyn Keith was booked into Madison County Jail after he was arrested for failing to pay for a pair of headphones during a self-checkout at Walmart on Thursday. Keith, who was released on the same day, issued a statement addressing the arrest on Friday, February 3, 2023.

The statement read:

“Yesterday, after purchasing items at the self-checkout at Walmart, I left the store with a 20$ (sic) pair of headphones in my cart that I failed to pay for. I respect the professionalism of the Walmart staff and law enforcement officers involved with this matter.”

Keith, a native of Huntsville, Alabama, was elected to the City Council in October 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. The councilman was serving his second term when he was arrested on the shoplifting charge. In his statement, Keith apologized to the constituents in his district and promised that this was an isolated incident, which would not be repeated in the future.

He continued:

“To my D1 family, my only goal has always been to bring light to how truly amazing you are. I apologize… I am truly sorry that this time my actions have taken the spotlight off of you and placed the focus onto me. It won’t happen again.”

He added:

"To my greater Huntsville family and friends. I am just as sorry. I’ll work to meet the standards you’ve come to expect from me moving forward and I promise to be more responsible in the future."

Following the arrest, the city of Huntsville released a statement saying that they were aware of the incident. They mentioned that the police are handling the situation “in accordance with standard practices and procedures.”

If convicted, Devyn Keith will be sentenced to one year in jail and will have to pay a maximum of $6,000 in fines.