Jacksonville store clerk fired after helping police catch robber

[yizuman]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2...e-catch-robber

I hate companies like that, taking their dollar to be more important than human being.

LOL I love the last quote of what he felt about the company...

Yiz

[Dytchdoctir]

Here's another take on chasing shoplifters:

Retail Comic

[draggar]

"A document Ireland received after applying for unemployment pay said that he was fired for “leaving the work area without permission.”"

He defended himself against the assailant (what, are you supposed to just let them stab you?) and then took down a partial plate #.

The only thing really wrong I see he did was throw the 2-liter at the assailant.

He didn't leave the work area unless it states in his job description that he's not supposed to leave the store part, what if a handicapped customer needs assistance pumping gas?

In the video you can clearly see he didn't go outside to chase after the person, he went out to get the license plate#.

[Lurking Sockpuppet]

In another story about the incident they stated that he didn't follow safety procedures. Procedures that he was never trained on. Even his manager stood up for him in that regard but corporate wouldn't budge.

News4Jax article

[draggar]

I just hope this publicity helps him get a new job.

[Raveni]

In another story about the incident they stated that he didn't follow safety procedures. Procedures that he was never trained on. Even his manager stood up for him in that regard but corporate wouldn't budge.

News4Jax article

"He said all Hess employees are required to watch a training video for overnight procedures, but he said he never saw it."

Sounds like he knows about it. Very hard to work graveyard at a C-Store (for 2 1/2 years?) and not know that you can't let people in when you are working by yourself or chase armed robbers into the parking lot. Against company policy and against the law in many areas (like mine).

If the company does nothing, the next time someone does it and gets hurt, they are on the hook for getting sued by the employee because they "acted out of loyalty" to the company.

In Orlando, a store got robbed by a guy implying a weapon, but no one sees one, so clerk A runs out and tries to get the license plate but can't. Robber sees this but doesn't realize that A has nothing, so turns his car around, gets back out and shoots A. Then he goes inside and shoots clerk B and the manager. Clerk A is the only survivor.

There was about $35 stolen.

[Shangri-laschild]

I have to agree that throwing the 2 litter was a bad idea (this from the girl who yelled at and stood in front of a thief till he dropped everything and ran off). Thwarting criminals is awesome and heroic but the life of the employee is more important than recovering the money/catching the bad guy. Because of this, policies stating that you don't stop the bad guy or put yourself in danger are policies that protect the employee above the profit. That in and of itself does not sound like an evil policy even if it's only there so they won't be liable. I get it sucks that he got fired but I can see how a company would want to send a clear message. I was lucky to not get fired when I confronted my thief. Honestly with me it was because I was so pissed and scared because it was my screw up that allowed him to get the stuff he got. Fear of getting in trouble with my boss and anger basically. I was all around lucky because he didn't get anything and wasn't armed, nor did he attack me. Guess what I'm trying to get at is fear of getting fired over stuff walking out the door can lead to some bad decisions sometimes.