Posted on 05/06/2022 6:04:30 PM PDT by simpson96
LINCOLN PARK, Mich.–A lawsuit filed by a woman who worked at a Michigan Kroger store for 31 years described in detail how she confronted a shoplifter and was praised as a “hero” by coworkers before being fired because of the incident.
Beverly Bennett, 61, of Dearborn Heights, worked at the Kroger store at 2060 Dix Highway in Lincoln Park for 31 and a half years, according to the lawsuit.
Bennett was working as a cashier on Sept. 16, 2021, when a man took a cart full of liquor outside the automatic doors and tried to leave the store, the lawsuit says.
Since part of her job as an employee includes theft prevention, Bennett approached the man and asked him for a receipt to prove he had purchased the liquor, according to the lawsuit.
Bennett said the customer had no receipt and was trying to steal the alcohol, so she called for backup and intervened.
Before authorities or other staff members could arrive, Bennett attempted to stop the man from pushing the cart outside the store, resulting in “great peril to herself,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit says that Bennett “brandished a standard carrying basket from the store to ensure that she was not attacked, injured, or otherwise harmed.”
“I swung it at the basket, and I told him, ‘Don’t touch it. You’re not getting this cart,’” Bennett told Local 4.
As the alarm went off, Bennett continued to resist letting the man take the cart of liquor, the lawsuit says. He eventually relinquished the cart and ran away, Bennett said.
He was apparently never taken into custody by police, the lawsuit says.
Bennett claims the entire confrontation was caught on video.
Two days after the attempted shoplifting, Bennett was temporarily suspended from her job at Kroger, the lawsuit says.
(Excerpt) Read more at clickondetroit.com ...
Good is evil and evil is good . Kroger got woke .
I stopped patronizing Kroger/Fred Meyer when they required the jab for employees.
Gal should have THEN taken her job elsewhere. It was then, and is now, a bull market for workers.
She should have known what was going to happen. I hope she wins, but I doubt it (store policy & all).
I think what’s going on is the company saw an opportunity to get rid of an expensive employee.
I suspect she’s going to win this one.
If store policy was to let shoplifters get away so that employees and customers had a better chance of not being harmed and she knew it, then she should’ve known what the consequences were. If he had pulled a gun and fired because she kept him from leaving, lawsuits galore would’ve probably rolled in.
IIRC there are companies...I think they tended to be large companies...that have a policy mandating that employees not confront or impede crooks/thieves. There’s a good argument to made in support of such a policy....”let the thief take what he wants,we don’t want any violence”.
Kroger apparently wants people to shoplift.
You aren’t a criminal if you take that which is freely and lawfully given.
I’ve got to get to Kroger more often.
The Fred Meyer store in my neighborhood has all of their employees wear a rainbow patch on their work clothes. Several of the male employees wear dresses. It’s a hostile work environment for anyone who believes in traditional values.
Well kroaker, I hope they steal everything you have.
She’s been there so long she probably thought of it as “her” store. It was personable for her.
If I remember correctly, Kroger employees are unionists. I wonder if her union will stick up for her.
I actually side with Kroger on this one. She put her life at risk, and therefore put her company at risk.
Alcohol is a toxin, an intoxicant, and dangerous for adults, let alone the children whom he likely would sell it to. She saves lives, of that I am sure. I vote Hero, those who say nay are 000’s.
They should be allowed to beat the hell out of shoplifters, it would sure do everyone a big favor.
Kroger was my favorite grocer back in the 70’s early 80’s and they disappeared from our area. Almost glad they left at this point.
The lawsuit says that theft prevention is part of her job.
It’s a rule the store has in order to protect itself from liability lawsuits, in case of physical injury by either party. It is a rule the employee very likely agreed to upon hiring or during an update of policy.
She, unfortunately has no basis upon which to sue that store.
Dumping her after that worked to Kroger’s advanatge in that now, they don’t have to pay this lady any pension.
Never forget, that is your employer. That is not, necessarily
your ‘friend’, no matter what they say about ‘Family’.
Her pension rights would be fully vested.
Her pension rights would be fully vested.
Kroger was obligated to fire this woman. No store can get away with ordering their employees to confront shoplifters. If such an employee gets hurt or killed confronting a shoplifter then the store becomes complicit and liable in the employee’s outcome. Allowing an employee to confront a shoplifter without repercussion can easily be interpreted as an unstated corporate policy requiring confrontation of shoplifters.
Blame the lawyers.
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