Pregnant woman shot by Walgreens employee in East Nashville

[Nevilledog]

https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/pregnant-woman-shot-by-walgreens-employee-in-east-nashville/

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A self-defense claim is under investigation after a pregnant woman was shot in a Walgreens parking lot, forcing doctors to perform an emergency cesarean section and deliver her premature baby.

According to Metro police, the shooting happened at around 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Walgreens in the 2500 block of Gallatin Avenue in East Nashville.

Police said a Walgreens employee was notified by another employee that two women were stealing items from the store. The employee told police he saw the women putting items into a store cart and into a large over-the-shoulder bag. The employee said he began recording the women with his cell phone and followed them as they left the store without paying for the items.

According to investigators, the employee said as the women began putting items into the trunk of their car, he made his way to the back of the car. That’s when one of the women reportedly pulled a can of mace and began spraying at him.

The employee then pulled his semi-automatic pistol and began shooting, saying he was afraid and did not know if either of the women were armed. The women then fled in their car while the employee went back into the store and called 911, according to police.

Investigators said one of the suspected shoplifters, a 34-year-old woman, was seven months pregnant and had been shot multiple times by the employee. The woman she was with dropped her off at General Hospital and drove away. An ambulance then took her to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

An emergency C-Section was performed at VUMC. The woman’s child, who was not injured by the gunfire, was delivered. Both the woman and her baby are in critical but stable condition.

The investigation remains ongoing.

*The end*


This is so fucked up.

[lame54]

1. From shoplifting to armed robbery

[Mad_Machine76]

2. Cops often cant justify deadly force

But I guess everybody can make that determination now? Theft is bad but doesn't justify this.

[treestar]

65. it's wasn't just the theft

but the pepper spray - which does not mean that justifies use of deadly force.

[treestar]

67. everyone can make the determination

when faced with something and deciding on self defense. That does not mean every claim of self defense is valid. But on the spot, you get to make the determination.

[Ritabert]

3. The employee will get off

It is Tennessee.

[haele]

6. But he will get fired.

Chain stores all have a policy that employees are not supposed to confront possible shoplifters or people making disturbances -
and especially to just comply if being robbed. Otherwise, they expose the store to liability.

Haele

[Chainfire]

4. He didn't know if they were armed so he made a preemptive attack.

I would hate to have to defend that. That is, assuming that the Tn. AG finds fault with the person's actions.

Even in the old cowboy movies that I grew up with it was only self defense if the other guy drew first.

[Sneederbunk]

5. Don't bring pepper spray to a gun fight.

[Chainfire]

7. I wonder what kind of clown believes that shoplifting is a shooting offense.

All he needed to do was take the tag number and let the police shoot them.

[Ahna KneeMoose]

8. Why Not Let Them Take The Goods

The employee is not law enforcement

The employee is not even store security

The employee is Totally-At-Fault in this instance

The employee should be charged with attemtped murder

Are those two lives worth less than those few items purloined

[rurallib]

9. Plus I would think (I would hope) that Walgreen's would have a policy

against employees carrying weapons while at work. Based on the story it sounds like the employee was armed.

Another reason to avoid Walgreen's

[Ace Rothstein]

10. The only person I feel bad for here is the baby.

[Nevilledog]

11. You think shoplifting deserves the death penalty?

[Ace Rothstein]

12. I think macing someone can cause problems for you.

Why does almost every post here ignore that part?

[Nevilledog]

13. You think the appropriate use of force against pepper spray is being shot?

[Ace Rothstein]

14. If they are willing to mace you then what else are they willing to do?

[Nevilledog]

17. That type of reasoning is why some people should never be allowed to possess guns.

Can you not see what follows from that? Gee, he was a scary black man who *might* have a weapon so I shot him first.

Gee, these kids were loud and disrespectful and they *might* have a weapon so I shot them first.

That's not self-defense.

I'd argue that pulling out pepper spray would be stronger evidence that the person wasn't armed because if they were so lawless they would have pulled that out first.

[Ace Rothstein]

25. There's a huge jump from your scenarios to one in which a violent act already happened.

[Nevilledog]

28. You're entitled to your opinion.

[sarisataka]

20. Typically the answer to that

Is yes, deadly force is justified vs pepper spray. Once you are hit with pepper spray, you are essentially helpless and at the mercy of the other person.

It also cannot be ignored that the user of the pepper spray was in the process of committing a crime and had no justification to use it.

The employee can be faulted for following and approaching them but that does not justify the woman"s escalation.

[Nevilledog]

21. I'll stand on my 33 years as a criminal defense attorney. It's not justified self-defense.

Does that mean he'll be charged? Depends on the jurisdiction and the color of the victim and shooter. Sounds harsh, but it's reality.

[sarisataka]

23. I received my information

Also from a defense attorney. I can't recall how long he had been at it but it was at least 10 years.

Personally I try to avoid situations where people may try to pepper spray me.

Who will be charged and will they be found guilty? I agree that will depend on far more than the simple facts of the crime(s)

[Nevilledog]

27. Situational awareness is your best defense.

This case has all sorts of potential issues that facts will determine.

Things I expect a prosecutor to consider (right or wrong)

1. Prior criminal histories of shooter and victim
2. What was being shoplifted (if she was stealing necessities she'd look more sympathetic as a victim)
3. Whether the employee was instructed as to company policy not to pursue or confront possible shoplifters. (I guarantee it wasn't to pursue the shoplifter into the parking lot with a gun)
4. Company policy as to employees being armed while working
5. Any past incidences with the employee and possible shoplifters.

Those are just a few, but prosecutorial decisions to charge are usually influenced by the "optics" and not necessarily the likelihood of conviction.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

49. 6. Was the baby armed and making threatening motions?

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

56. Also: Your amateur hour second-hand information

In no way compares to even 1 year of actual experience as an attorney.

Arguing your point this way does you no favors.

[sarisataka]

64. Since the attorney was speaking

As part of a self-defense course as to when non-lethal and lethal force is justified it seemed an appropriate point. I recall another point was no force is justified whole in the process of committing a crime.

Oh and a belated welcome to DU

[Sneederbunk]

30. Mitarius Boyd shot Travonsha Ferguson.

[BlackSkimmer]

54. I'm going out on a limb and guessing both victim and shooter are black.

So how will that play out?

[orleans]

39. "Once you are hit with pepper spray, you are essentially helpless and at the mercy of the other pers

Once you are hit with pepper spray, you are essentially helpless and at the mercy of the other person.

obviously not. at least not so "helpless and at the mercy of the other person" that the shooter couldn't fire off that gun and shoot that woman a few times

[sarisataka]

40. Possibilities-

1- he was firing blindly
2- she didn't hit him square in the face so still could see
3- there are some people it does affect less than others

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

58. We get it. You're okay with vigilante justice

Takes all kinds, I guess.

[sarisataka]

62. I am ok with self-defense

Are you OK with theft and assault?

[BlackSkimmer]

53. Thank you. nt

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

55. The pepper-spraying woman can ALSO claim self-defense

And fearing for her safety when a man chased her to her car and confronted her. Who was he to do that? Do you realize how frightening that is to women, even if they're not stealing?

He's lucky she wasn't armed with a deadly weapon herself.

[sarisataka]

63. I find it interesting how easy

It is to confuse criminal and victim.

If a woman who wasn't stealing anything had a man come randomly running up and confront her, I would support any reasonable actions she takes to protect herself.

[Zeitghost]

31. I've read here on DU that pepper spray can cause death

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

59. Since pepper spray contains cayenne

At a high dosage, it definitely can cause death if used against someone with a nightshade allergy.

I'm one of those people. I was waiting for the bus one day when another person pepper-sprayed a guy who got too fresh with her. I was neither in the line of fire nor downwind from the spray, but I still went into anaphylactic shock at that first gasp from being present when such a scene unfolded.

Thankfully, it was at a busy stop in our downtown area, dozens of people all around waiting for buses, and even more simply walking around. Someone with an epipen was there to recognize I was going into anaphylactic shock and used his pen on me. I would have died, otherwise. Guy didn't even stick around for thanks or praise or acclaim. Nobody even found out his name. He simply saw a problem, did the injection, and went on his way.

[treestar]

66. agreed

the mace was the issue - then again, that may not justify deadly force. But the comments that it was just the shoplifting are weird.

[Ace Rothstein]

70. Unfortunately it is all too common here these days.

People ignoring one part of a story because it doesn't fit their narrative.

[Cha]

16. +1.. smh

[lees1975]

15. Have people lost their common sense?

They were shoplifting. Record it, call the police, identify the vehicle and be done with it. Stupid idiot.

This is exactly why concealed carry permits and people carrying guns should be against the law.

[Zeitghost]

32. It seems like that was exactly what was going on

Until the thieves assaulted the clerk.

[orleans]

38. he followed them around to the back of the car

that's more than just identifying the women and the car

sounds like he was looking for a confrontation by putting himself in the thick of it all

[Zeitghost]

47. I'd imagine

He was legally taking photographs of the license plate. There is nothing to indicate that he started the violence.


I was recently at a BBQ at a local park when some idiots began drifting in the parking lot. A good friend of mine decided to take photographs of the cars and drivers when she was attacked. Her attacker soon learned she was an off duty Deputy. His night didn't end well and I'd hardly blame that on her legally documenting a criminal act.

[mcar]

18. So alleged shoplifting is now a death sentence?

WTF is that guy doing following them to the car in the first place?

[Mosby]

22. Retail LP people follow shoplifters into the parking lot 100s times a day

Why do you think stores shouldn't arrest shoplifters?

[mcar]

34. Are you serious?

Retail LP take it upon themselves to shoot at alleged shoplifters? How much do they make to have it worth it for them to do that?

I've always heard that retail workers are trained to NOT follow alleged shoplifters.

Why do you think stores shouldn't arrest shoplifters?

Point to where I said that. Are minimum wage employees really tasked with the job of "arresting" shoplifters (alleged)? Really?

[TwilightZone]

26. She wasn't shot because she was shoplifting.

She was shot because she pepper-sprayed the employee.

Justification or lack thereof aside, context matters.

Many retailers have loss-prevention officers who are armed and some do confront shoplifters, depending on policy. Policies also vary on whether or not they should follow them outside.

[lostnfound]

19. 7 months is pretty damn premature. Hopefully late in the 7th month

Lungs are still developing at 30 -32 weeks, may need surfactant or an incubator
At 32-34 weeks may need supplemental oxygen
Higher risk than full-term babies for learning and behavioral problems.
Will be expensive anyway.

Dumbasses with bullets.

[Evergreen Emerald]

24. And dumb ass mother to be

Why put her baby to be in such jeopardy?

[mcar]

35. Are we sure she did?

Are we sure she shoplifted? So many on here are assuming guilt.

[Sneederbunk]

36. Has prior criminal record of violence and vandalism.

[mcar]

37. And?

[DemocraticPatriot]

42. Excellent point!

[Evergreen Emerald]

50. I guess the same way

we are assuming she was shot.

[Straw Man]

29. Acc'ding to Tennessee law ...

... pepper spraying some is "assault with bodily injury." I'm sure his lawyer will try to argue self-defense. It will probably be up to a jury to decide. I'm not a lawyer, but I think that unless they continued to assault him after spraying him, his case for self-defense is weak.

As others have said, it's likely that he violated a company rule against carrying a firearm while at work. I'm not sure whether his action of following them out of the store and videotaping them would conflict with company policy about shoplifters, though.

[NutmegYankee]

33. A jury isn't going to decide.

This won't be prosecuted.

[mcar]

43. Some here apparently agree with that.

[NutmegYankee]

48. It is how the world works.

Not that we have to like it.

[DemocraticPatriot]

41. Well, thank God that Tennessee supports gun rights

and vigilante action, apparently......


/total sarcasm

[MagickMuffin]

44. Seems the identities are protected

I guess that’s how it works!

[Sneederbunk]

46. No. The shooter is Mitarius Boyd and the shootee is Travonsha Ferguson.

[treestar]

68. Hmmmmm

Sounds like they are both black, though it's dangerous to engage in stereotypes. Still that one seems - justifiable.

[a kennedy]

45. This, this, and more this.......or am I wrong??? Shoplifting

https://www.dailywire.com/news/these-stores-are-closing-due-to-looting-and-lost-profits

[TwilightZone]

51. The Daily Wire is Ben Shapiro's propaganda outlet.

You might want to reconsider using it as a source.

[a kennedy]

52. Shoot, ok will remember that. Thanks.

[JI7]

57. Why did they pepper spray him ?

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

60. What would you do if you were a woman and a man

Chased you out to your car in a rage?

Even if they're stealing, it doesn't mean they didn't feel that they were in danger themselves. Yeah, it kinda comes with the territory to be at risk if you commit a crime, but that doesn't change the fear of what a man chasing down a woman can cause, either. Even if the guy isn't a cop, women know full well how bad those situations can become.

Or maybe I'm more sensitive to it, because, even though I hadn't committed a crime, I had a deranged man chase after me for doing some minor thing that offended him at a four-way-stop, all the way to my home. Do you think i wasn't terrified out of my wits about what could become of me if I hadn't gotten into my house fast enough--and how I was still frightened, even though I had a solid door with a good deadbolt to keep him out? I had no idea how long it would take for the cops to come out to drag away the lunatic banging on my door and bellowing his rage at me.

Until you've been there--as a woman, don't assume that a woman in that situation wasn't scared to death.

[JI7]

61. If I was stealing I would know why I was being chased

[treestar]

69. another claim of self defense?

on top of his. He was coming after her.