Newton Police Chief Harvey Curry

Newton Police say an alleged kidnapping attempt at the Newton Walmart has been exaggerated on social media.

“It’s all blown out of proportion,” Newton Police Chief Harvey Curry said. “It was nowhere near a kidnapping or attempted kidnapping.”

According a department-issued news release, officers responded to a kidnapping attempt report Friday afternoon. A woman told police that “two males followed her around the store and made her very uncomfortable … by positioning themselves in a manner that she deemed inappropriate.”

After reviewing the surveillance video at Walmart, police determined there was nothing inappropriate or unlawful.

“While this incident may have been circumstantially uncomfortable we do not feel that any further police action is warranted at this time,” the news release stated.

According to a Facebook post on the City of Newton Community Watch page, the incident happened around 2 p.m. Friday and involved two “white guys” who “tried to pin her between them and lead her out the door.”

The post says a Walmart employee “noticed what was happening and grabbed her arm and pulled her away from them.”

Police “commended” the Walmart employee who “postured himself in a protective manner.”