[mothered]

They don't seem to want to do anything unless they get police involved.

Is the third party seller a company, and not an Individual?

when I contacted Walmart they told me only the third party could provide me a refund/replacement.

That's fine, but It doesn't mean you need to deal directly with the seller.

You've purchased and opened a claim with Walmart, hence they're handling It. As such, ask them to clearly justify why the seller Is getting the police Involved.

Their latest email told me to "take the laptop to the nearest manufacturer store to verify my claim."

Nonsense.

You're not dealing with the manufacturer, so It's not their responsibility to verify the claim.