When a shoplift is committed with the use of force, the offense is classified as

• A. Robbery
• B. Theft
• C. Larceny
• D. Burglary

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that using force to take someone else’s property changes the crime from theft into robbery. If a shoplifter grabs items by pushing or threatening a clerk, the taking occurs with force, which makes it robbery because force or intimidation is involved in obtaining the property from a person. The other terms don’t fit because theft or larceny describes taking property without using force against a person, and burglary focuses on unlawfully entering a building with intent to commit a crime, not the force used during the actual taking. So, when force is used during a shoplift, it’s classified as robbery.