7-Eleven clerk Edward Vaught fired after defending himself during a robbery
7-Eleven clerk Edward Vaught found that out the hard way when he decided to stand up to a robber wielding a gun in Florida that company policy trumps his right to defend himself.
“He pulls (what) looks like a gun out of his waistband and he pointed it right at my forehead,” Vaught told Orlando’s WESH-TV. “He threatened me — threatened he was going to kill me.”
“I thought was in serious mortal danger,” he explained, adding later: “This man wants to hurt me so I need to defend myself.”
And defend himself he did.
Vaught decided to turn the tables on Christopher Munson, age 31, fighting back, wrestling Munson out the door and eventually holding him at bay until police came.
It was eventually determined that Munson was wielding a fake gun, but Vaught, who works the night shift in order to put himself through college, said he had no idea of knowing.
Munson was arrested and Vaught was hailed as a hero considering he saved himself and another employee in the store.
Within three days, Vaught was fired from his job.
The company said the firing was necessary because “the employee’s action violated our policy of non-confrontation and posed a danger to himself and a coworker.
[…] 7-Eleven clerk Edward Vaught fired after defending himself during a robbery […]
Last year in Kansas City a clerk at 7-Eleven, who was working his last shift before starting a new job, was robbed at gunpoint. Even though, according to the store’s video cameras, he cooperated fully and handed over the cash, the robber shot him dead. Companies like 7-Eleven don’t care about their employees…they make up policies like this to protect themselves from litigation. I’m sure the robber will now find a lawyer who will sue the company for any injuries he may have sustained while being subdued. A sad day when you can’t defend yourself for fear of losing your job. I hope this story generates enough publicity that another employer will proudly offer Mr. Vaught a job.