Wal-Mart Security Employees Fired for Disarming Store Gunman

[Dux-R-Us]

http://www.aolnews.c...g-store-gunman/

You need another reason to hate Walmart? Here is a good one.

What is wrong with this world?

 

[DutchWrangler]

What is wrong with this world?

Lack of balls, common sense and lawyers.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

I dont care for Walmart either... but if the corporate rules or employee safety policy says "not to disarm armed people... " you should not do it.

In some states, get injured as result of a work rule violation ... your workman's comp is paid at a reduced rate.

 

[ocphy]

I dont care for Walmart either... but if the corporate rules or employee safety policy says "not to disarm armed people... " you should not do it.

In some states, get injured as result of a work rule violation ... your workman's comp is paid at a reduced rate.

guy cocks the hammer of the gun and comes at you, then sticks it in your back, yeah I will just let him go :098: .... why not just let him shoot you too, screw the rules save your own life and potentially the life of others and hopefully these people will find jobs soon.

 

[DoctorJJ]

I dont care for Walmart either... but if the corporate rules or employee safety policy says "not to disarm armed people... " you should not do it.

In some states, get injured as result of a work rule violation ... your workman's comp is paid at a reduced rate.

That sounds like a good sheeple response.

 

[Airic]

get injured as result of a work rule violation ... your workman's comp is paid at a reduced rate.

Guy's crazy enough to pull a gun over some shoplifting, I'm not worried about getting injured, I'm worried about getting DEAD. The only correct response to that guys behavior is quick and efficient neutralization.

IMO they are heros and I hope someone steps up and gives them all a job to take them out of the wal-mart system.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

sheeple? Not hardly. Loss prevention is not the "police"

Heck.. even an armed citizen like me or you probably should not try to detain, disarm or arrest a person,,, unless he represents a serious threat to our safety (fear of life). We get to shoot em. Loss prevention employees just don't operate at the same level of authority or responsibility.


If noted... I didnt say he did not do the "right thing"... but legally, his employer is within their rights to fire him. Ethical, moral and legal are usually not the same thing.

 

[Stingray]

Heck.. even an armed citizen like me or you probably should not try to detain, disarm or arrest a person,,, unless he represents a serious threat to our safety (fear of life).

Unless I misread the article, it looks like the guy charged at them with a gun. I think this represents a serious threat to safety.

-S

 

[Jefpainthorse]

Unless I misread the article, it looks like the guy charged at them with a gun. I think this represents a serious threat to safety.

-S

Yea... and if your not armed...the A choice is Running the other way. Unless your some sort of open hand expert..or getting paid to take one for the team.

Were the Walmart employeess authorized to use deady force?

 

[Stingray]

Yea... and if your not armed...the A choice is Running the other way. Unless your some sort of open hand expert..or getting paid to take one for the team.

Were the Walmart employeess authorized to use deady force?

Sure, they could have ran away. That's almost always an option. They also could have been killed if they ran away, and innocent shoppers could have been killed as well. I'm not saying that definitely would have happened, just that it's possible. How it did turn out is they successfully disarmed the bad guy and nobody got hurt. Shame on Wal-Mart for firing these guys for being heroic.

-S

 

[Airic]

I do not totally disagree with you Jeff, I get the point your trying to make. I think we're getting a little mixed up about what is important to learn from this situation.

1. Wal-Mart's policy is BS and they dont give a crap about employees or the people who shop at the store, they only worry about what the company liability would be in these situations.

2. Every person has a right to defend themselves when threatened with deadly force.

Whether you are armed or not. Every situation is different and 99% of the time I would say disengage and get as far away from the threat as possible, but this:

Inside the office, Longton allegedly pulled out a loaded handgun and ran toward the office door, which was blocked by Ray, Richins and Stewart. Longton then allegedly grabbed Stewart and shoved the gun into his back. Concerned for their safety, the workers reacted forcefully and disarmed Longton.

Violent encounters happen in an instant, your left to make a quick decision to either fight to survive, or submit and leave your fate in the hands of the gun wielding man. Retreat is not always an option when enclosed in a small space and surprised by violent actions. I don't know about you, but no company policy is going to stop me from trying to make home safe to my girls at night.

 

[benjamin-benjamin]

i think the issue is not whether Wal Mart is in the "right" to fire them, they are! The issue is SHOULD they have been fired. What i mean is that if i tell my kid not to leave the house under any circumstances and they leave the house because the house was on fire. Did they disobey me, YES, am i going to punish them or make an exception.. of course i am not going to punish him... Wal mart employee manual is not like "the law" where it has to be enforced, they should have released a statement like the following...
"We do not condone any behavior that involves engaging someone with a deadly weapon. Our utmost concern is the safety of our employees and our customers. We will continue to strive to have the safest environment possible, we are very thankful that the 4 employees involved in the incident are safe."

then move on, they should have never fired them... hopefully the backlash will be heavy enough (i think it will be) that they will get their jobs back..

 

[Stingray]

they should have released a statement like the following...
"We do not condone any behavior that involves engaging someone with a deadly weapon. Our utmost concern is the safety of our employees and our customers. We will continue to strive to have the safest environment possible, we are very thankful that the 4 employees involved in the incident are safe."

This seems like a perfectly reasonable response to me. Too bad for these guys that you don't run walmart.

-S

 

[ocphy]

Unless I misread the article, it looks like the guy charged at them with a gun. I think this represents a serious threat to safety.

-S

you are correct, if you haven't watched the interview video you should. It tells more of the detail.

 

[benjamin-benjamin]

This seems like a perfectly reasonable response to me. Too bad for these guys that you don't run walmart.

-S

maybe i should apply for CEO of walmart.... hahahaha i have too much common sense to run a corporation..
one of the things that i learned is BEING RIGHT and doing the right thing are often two separate things..

 

[Stingray]

Common sense you say? I agree, you're completely unqualified for the corporate world.

-S

 

[redneck1861]

I think these guys did the right thing, they ended the situation without ANYONE getting hurt or killed. they responded to the threat with no time to think of company policy. I have been armed security/loss prevention officer for a while now, and I only hope if I am ever put in a situation like this, that I will be able to handle it in the same way.


Walmart does have some crappy policys regarding their loss prevention guys. I have a buddy that used to work as security for walmart, he was at that old walmart in MWC before they moved to location. He was a MWC Police officer. He had a guy that was stealing a bunch of DVD's. He confronted the guy as he was runnin out of the store, the guy pulled a gun and ran out to his car and took off. My buddy jumped in his squad car and started pursit. He was not chasing the guy because he was stealinng but because he pulled a gun.

My buddy got fired from walmart because they have a policy that states you are not allowed to chase a shoplifter once they make it out of the store

 

[Jefpainthorse]

Now... Since I've said what I am supposed to say, as a responsible adult,

If I found myself in the same situation I'd hope a long dormant skill set would get me out of trouble in an identical situation...and expect to find a new job.

I worked for a major utiliy, carried nearly daily outside company rules and was willing to loose a $50k+job if the threat presented itself.

Loosing a Walmart job would hardly be worth hiring a lawyer to get it back.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

I think these guys did the right thing, they ended the situation without ANYONE getting hurt or killed. they responded to the threat with no time to think of company policy. I have been armed security/loss prevention officer for a while now, and I only hope if I am ever put in a situation like this, that I will be able to handle it in the same way.


Walmart does have some crappy policys regarding their loss prevention guys. I have a buddy that used to work as security for walmart, he was at that old walmart in MWC before they moved to location. He was a MWC Police officer. He had a guy that was stealing a bunch of DVD's. He confronted the guy as he was runnin out of the store, the guy pulled a gun and ran out to his car and took off. My buddy jumped in his squad car and started pursit. He was not chasing the guy because he was stealinng but because he pulled a gun.

My buddy got fired from walmart because they have a policy that states you are not allowed to chase a shoplifter once they make it out of the store

A peace officer's commission obligates him 24/7/365.
Walmart does what it does. IMHO ... Once the gun came out in MWC...which job is your buddy willing to loose?

Walmarts arbitrary.

 

[redneck1861]

A peace officer's commission obligates him 24/7/365.
Walmart does what it does. IMHO ... Once the gun came out in MWC...which job is your buddy willing to loose?

Walmarts arbitrary.

Thats the way he saw it. walmart fired him on the spot, they said it was because of their policy of not chasing shoplifters once they get out of the store. He told them that he would not be charging him with shoplifting.

My buddy is still with MWC PD, but now he does security for Buy For Less and makes about twice as much as he did at walmart