4 Walmart employees fired after disarming gunman caught shoplifting(UT)

ksl.com ^ | 9 February, 2011 | Andrew Adams

[marktwain]

LAYTON -- The shoplifter smashed Gabriel Stewart up against a wall. It didn't take him long to realize that pressure against his lower back was from a loaded gun held by a desperate man who didn't want to go to jail.

The gunman had a firm grip on Stewart's shoulder, telling him and three of his Walmart co-workers, "Don't make me do this."

"Absolutely, time stopped," Stewart told KSL News. "I didn't know what to do."

Instantly, Shawn Ray and Justin Richins kicked into gear, spinning the gunman around. Lori Poulsen ripped the gun away and secured it. They all held onto the man until police arrived minutes later.

The four Layton Walmart employees felt it was mission accomplished. Police officers told them they had done everything right.

But a week later, all four were fired from their jobs. Walmart said their actions had violated company policy and put their fellow workers and shoppers at risk.

[muawiyah]

Now that I no longer feel safe in any wal-mart I’m going to have to shop somewhere else!

[TChad]

It costs more to insure a security guard who provides security than it does to insure a security guard who escorts thieves to the door and tells them to have a nice day.

I wonder if a lawyer could claim that the firings were unjust because the employees acted in their own self defense.

Freepers are complaining about the source of the article, but this is terrific reporting, with a thorough description of what happened, links to the police report and the WalMart statement, and a video interview with the fired employees.

[truthbetold11]

can’t have employees thinking for themselves during a crisis

[muawiyah]

I suspect Wal-Mart also has a policy of suing any customer who commits an act of self-defense.

[dragnet2]

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[Aglooka]

Walmart = China-Mart

This is also an example of how us lowly peasants are expected to be passive and submissive. Don’t fight back, don’t stand up for what is right, don’t try to help someone etc. etc. etc.

I avoid China-Mart as much as possible.

[muawiyah]

“Freepers” aren’t complaining ~ some are ~ not all. Frankly, i don’t care what the source is when it comes to a story like this. But I think we can see yet another reason why wal-mart always invites the gypsies to park overnight.

[PapaBear3625]

Fired or not fired, they did what is right. There's no telling what the shoplifter/gunman would have done if they didn't wrestle away the weapon from him.

It doesn't matter. What matters to the MBAs and the lawyers is that they increased risk to WalMart.

If the gunman had shot ten people, WalMart would have had no liability. If someone had been shot as a consequence of a store employee's actions, then WalMart would have been sued.

Defending a lawsuit can cost millions. Replacing a dead employee is cheap for the company.

[dragnet2]

This is also an example of how us lowly peasants are expected to be passive and submissive. Don’t fight back, don’t stand up for what is right

You get in line yankee and obey like little dog. If you nice, we give you some China yum yum, or else we chop chop.

[egfowler3]

Since W*M wants to advise the criminal element of our society that it is perfectly okay to commit a crime within the limits of their store, I will advise them that I expect their currently high prices to go down. If not, I will move my money from their register lines to some one else’s.

I expect them to be actively working to stop thieving in their stores, and this story says they are cooperating instead with the thieves.

[bwc2221]

Why so many conservatives are always so quick to defend Wal-Mart is a mystery to me. There is nothing conservative about Wal-Mart and hasn’t been since Sam Wall died.

[wintertime]

I honestly believe that some posters are mental ill. They are that fixated on and hateful of the Mormon religion.

[machogirl]

Didn’t my former guv, Janet tell walmart shoppers if you see something, tell someone? Did they not follow DHS video? /s

[Katya]

Granted on face value this seems ridiculous in terms of policy implementation... but this is probably written into their company liability insurance.

[TChad]

“Freepers” aren’t complaining ~ some are ~ not all.

My post does not state or imply that all Freepers were complaining.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

So Walmart wants to be a safe harbor for criminals.

Isn't that special?

[packrat35]

No you made an asshot of YOURSELF for defending the indefensible, but what they hey...

There are no laws that say employees MUST be fired for defending themselves. And Wal-Mart of all places has the money to fight the liability BS, so FAIL!

[ChildOfThe60s]

I quit eating their meat, though, when I heard that they buy some of their meats from the 99 Cent Store.

Only the cuts that are out of date.....

Seriously, I don't buy it because it's substandard. Like their pork, it's shot full of saline to make it look better longer. Turns it into inedible garbage, IMO.

I'm fortunate, I live in a small town that has an honest to goodness butcher shop. They even cut up raw bones for my daughter's dog.

[MonicaG]

Thanks for the link - I just wrote’em a (polite) piece of my mind. OMG, Bizarro World or what?

[dixjea]

Does everything in your life revolve around finding fault with the Mormon Church? If so, sucks to be you.