By SCOTT HARRISON

s.harrison@krdo.com

COLORADO SPRINGS - Police say the arrest of a woman Friday morning in an altercation at the Wal-Mart store at Powers and Palmer Park Boulevards, had nothing to do with the Black Friday shopping rush  The incident was reported around 6:30 a.m.

Lt. David Whitlock says the altercation began in a checkout line when the suspect accused another woman of staring at her.  No further details were available about the incident.

Earlier, an employee who says he witnessed the incident, said the women were arguing over a discount item, possibly a pair of pajamas.  He says the altercation was not a fistfight, but more like shouting and pushing.  An officer at the scene downplayed the incident, calling it typical of the Black Friday shopping frenzy.

As of 8 a.m. Friday, much of the Black Friday shopping crowd had eased.  The Wal-Mart had plenty of available parking, and lines at the checkout counters were not long.  The employee says electronic items were the biggest sellers.  Meanwhile, at the Toys-R-Us store near Citadel Mall, many customers complained about long lines there.  Some customers were so frustrated that they left without buying anything.

Some drivers seemed preoccupied with Black Friday.  Along Powers, there were horns honking, vehicles speeding and at one point, even an obscene gesture.  On another occasions, traffic did not pull over and stop for an ambulance heading to an emergency.