7-Eleven hands down unthinkable punishment to clerk after she shoots knife-wielding thug who attacked, strangled her

The Blaze ^ | November 19, 2025 | Dave Urbanski

[Twotone]

A male entered a 7-Eleven in Oklahoma City just before midnight Thursday and tried to buy burritos, beef sticks, and ice cream with a counterfeit $100 bill, according to a KOKH-TV news video.

But the female clerk wasn't buying the con.

What's more, the clerk said she was calling police, KWTV-DT reported — and she refused the male's demand that she give him back the counterfeit bill, Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department added to the station.

Then the thug reportedly got violent.

“He came around the counter, got behind the counter where she was, and grabbed her by the throat and began choking her violently," Knight added to KWTV.

The clerk — 25-year-old Stephanie Dilyard — told KOKH-TV that "he threatened me, said he was gonna slice my head off, and then that's when I tried to call the police. I realized he started throwing things at me, came behind the counter. I tried to run off, but he grabbed his hands around my neck, and pushed me out of the counter space."

Knight added to KWTV that "at some point during this altercation, she pulled out a pistol and shot him." Police said the suspect — who also was carrying a knife — was shot in the stomach and that the entire attack was caught on video, the station noted.

The suspect — identified as 59-year-old Kenneth Thompson — fled the store and called 911, KOKH reported.

“Reporting he had been shot,” Knight told KWTV. “Although he was not forthcoming with what happened when officers first met with him.”

Thompson was arrested at the hospital and charged with assault and battery, threatening acts of violence, attempting to pass a fake bill, and a felony warrant for violating parole, KOKH said.

KWTV noted that he'll be transferred to the Oklahoma County Detention Center once he's released from the hospital.

As for Dilyard, police told KWTV that she suffered minor injuries and was not arrested; police confirmed to KOKH, in fact, that she's protected under Oklahoma's self-defense law.

Yet after all that, 7-Eleven fired Dilyard on Monday for using her gun, KOKH said.

"They said that they were going to separate from employment because of a violation of policy," she added to the station, noting that she had been working alone from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. for more than two years.

KOKH said attempts to reach 7-Eleven for a statement on Dilyard's firing and any changes to employee policy were unsuccessful. KWTV said a 7-Eleven clerk stated to the station that employees are not allowed to carry firearms at work. KWTV added that 7-Eleven hasn't responded to its question about whether security will be provided following this attack.

Dilyard told KOKH that she'll always choose to preserve her life over preserving her job.

"This was a situation where I felt like I was put in a corner between choosing between my job and my life, and I'm always going to choose my life because there's people that depend on me," she told the station. "Just, I'm going home, you know. That's my goal. I need to be here for my kids."

Dilyard added to KOKH that she hopes her ordeal will be a wake-up call to prevent other clerks, especially women, from being harmed: "If I'd known that, you know, there's a potential where somebody could be for real in taking my life away that I will do whatever it takes ... I hope that ... women see that, and you know, they'll do the same thing. You have the right to defend yourself."

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: 711; banglist; crime; oklahoma; selfdefense

[cherry]

What do mean “probably the right choice”?...she was in the process of being killed...yeah, she made the right choice!!!!

[discostu]

I’d say ALL convenience stores are this way. And fast food. Gas stations. Liquor stores. Pretty much any place that gets robbed a lot. And they’ve been that way you’re entire life. They don’t employees shooting people. Customers, robbers, too much risk. Boycott them all if you must. But they ain’t changing.

[gloryblaze]

I’m glad the perp lived, so she will not have to live with having killed a person - even if he deserved it.

[discostu]

OK. Being not there, and not having all the info I’m not comfortable making definitive statements. You can if you want.

[Tacrolimus1mg]

I miss White Hen.

[GaryCrow]

The no weapons policy is to insulate themselves from being sued. It’s a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless, that 7-11 would rather have this employee murdered than risk being sued. I hope it blows up in their face and she turns around & sues them for whatever some slick lawyer can come up with.

If she hadn’t had her pistol she’d likely be dead now. 7-11 wouldn’t care, they’d just hire another clerk and go on about their business. They’d put out some kind of BS statement of sympathy while proclaiming nothing is more important than the safety of their employees, meanwhile they’d keep putting their employees at risk while denying them the means to defend themselves. Their policy says what we all know, they don’t care about their employees lives, they’re expendable.

[Allegra]

Just think…if she had only followed the (stupid) rules and let the guy strangle her, she’d still have her job.

< /s >

[Freedom4US]

“Litigious Society”

You mis-spelled scumbag lawyers

[Irenic]

Die for your family, your country—not for the 7-eleven corporation. I don’t need a thing from 7-eleven. A-holes.

[55Ford]

This must be a fake 7- Eleven; a real 7-Eleven would have given her a raise and promotion. She might lose some points because the perp lived.

[moviefan8]

I would agree. Not a perfect ten because the perp survived. I’ll give her a 9 out of 10.

[sport]

7-11 and her will get surd as soon as the perp can find an Ambulance Chaser.

[sport]

Attempting to pass counterfeit used to be a Federal Crime. Who knows what it is now, probably not shit. I have little [highest] to no [reality] expectations that he will be prosecuted. To the lady who shot him: Time spent practicing your shooting skills will be time put to good use. Because once the hospital releases him, he will come looking for you with fire in his eye. It is in your best interests to make sure that he does not get a third chance. There is one foolproof way to do that.

[Uncle Miltie]

THOMPSON, KENNETH DION

Oklahoma County, Oklahoma

11/19/2025 13:27:00

mugshot and booking details

The 7-11 clerk Stephanie Dillard:

[Uncle Miltie]

Dilyard.

Dernd spel Czech.

[chopperk]

I will never enter a 7/11 again.

[drypowder]

Hindu 7-11 logic; they work for cheap and there’s plenty more where she came from. Personally, I don’t do 7-11.

[Reddy]

“he threatened me, said he was gonna slice my head off…”

Muzzie?!

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

No more 7-11 for me. Far more must be done to the company for terminating her. The suspect would have killed her.

[econjack]

Count me in!