It has been reported that a Chicago shoplifter died after a store employee allegedly held him in a chokehold, and his family says they are outraged charges won't be filed.

The Chicago Sun-Times has reported that the manager of a CVS drug store in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago saw Anthony Kyser allegedly stuff a tube of toothpaste in his jacket on Saturday and chased him out of the store.

The newspaper said that catching him in an alley, the manager applied a choke hold as Kyser reportedly cried, "I can't breathe, I can't breathe," before he succumbed.

Chicago Police spokesman Daniel O'Brien said that although the medical examiner's autopsy showed Kyser had been strangled and ruled his death a homicide, police said Sunday the employee who killed Kyser won't be charged.

Kyser's family says it cannot understand that decision.

Ann Balboa, Kyser's ex-wife, said, "Why would you kill someone over toothpaste?"

Balboa said to the Chicago Tribune, "How's it accidental? You're choking the (expletive) out of somebody. He (the employee) should be fired. He should be facing criminal charges. You don't take someone's life over toothpaste." (With Inputs from Agencies)