IDIOTS!

 

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/autozone-fires-worker-who-stopped-robbery.html

 

AutoZone Fires Worker Who Stopped Robbery

 

An AutoZone worker who stopped an armed robbery by retrieving a weapon from his truck said he was fired by the company for violating their gun policy.

 

FOLLOW TODD ON FACEBOOK FOR CULTURE WAR NEWS. CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

 

Devin McLean and his store manager were about to close the AutoZone in York County, Va. when a gunman barged into the store.

 

“He pulled a gun from his waist band and demanded me and my manager go back into the office,” McLean told Fox News.

 

At some point, McLean was left in a restroom while the gunman made the manager open the store safe. That’s when McLean, a 23-year-old Air Force veteran, bolted through a side door and ran to his truck.

 

He returned through the front door holding a Glock 40 – pointed directly at the masked robber.

 

“I told him to freeze and to drop his weapon,” McLean told Fox News.

 

Instead, the robber took off – last seen running down the street from the store.

 

“I watched him run down the street,” he said. “I came back inside and made sure my manager was okay and he called the police.”

 

The York County Sheriff’s Dept. believes the bandit is responsible for as many as 30 robberies across the region.

 

“One of the officers asked why I didn’t shoot the robber,” McLean said.

 

Sheriff J.D. Diggs told Fox News he considers McLean to be a hero.

 

“He did a very brave thing,” the sheriff said. “He put himself in jeopardy in an attempt to make sure his friend was safe. He did a very brave thing.”

 

The part-time worker’s manager was especially thankful and credited McLean with saving his life.

 

But two days after the robbery – and just a week before Thanksgiving – McLean was fired.

 

Television station WTKR reported that McLean violated corporate policy by leaving the store and returning with a weapon.

 

The station spoke to a representative from the company’s corporate office who said they had a “zero tolerance policy for employees having weapons inside the store.”

 

An AutoZone spokesman told Fox News they will not discuss the matter.

 

“It was a surprise to me,” McLean said. “I did the right thing. I saved the company $2,000. I saved one of their manager’s lives – and you’re letting me go? It was a slap in the face.”

 

McLean said the firing came at a difficult time. He’s about to be a first-time father.

 

“We’re having a little boy,” he said. “I remember when the guy came in with that gun. My initial thought was I want to make it home to my family. I want to have the opportunity to meet my son and for my son to meet his dad. And for someone to come in and shove a gun in your face?”

 

So why not just keep running? Why go back inside the store – and risk your own life?

 

“I regard them as my family,” McLean said of his co-workers. “You’re not going to leave your brother or sister behind.”

 

It’s a lesson he learned in the Air Force.

 

“Never leave a man behind,” he said. “I’m not going to leave my brother in a room with a guy with a gun – that’s threatening his life.”

 

In spite of losing his job, McLean said his actions would be the same if it happened again.

 

“I wouldn’t change anything,” he said.

 

The sheriff said he was disappointed to hear that McLean lost his job on account of stopping the robbery.

 

“That’s certainly unfortunate,” he said. “They should be doing something to reward that young man instead of firing him.”

 

Sheriff Diggs said AutoZone has also sent an unintended message to the community.

 

“The company has now sent a message to every would-be robber out there – ‘Hey we’re open for business and unarmed. Come on in and take our money,’” he said.

 

Meanwhile, the backlash against AutoZone is spreading. Cam Edwards, of NRA News, called AutoZone’s decision an “injustice.”

 

“It may have been corporate policy to fire Devin McLean, but it’s also an injustice. He came to the aid of a fellow employee threatened by an armed robber and was canned. They should have named him employee of the year.”

 

He said the nation needs more people like McLean.

 

“He had the chance to run away but instead he chose to arm himself with his legally owned gun and save the life of his supervisor,” Edwards told Fox News. “Wouldn’t we all like to work with someone like Devin?”

 

Customers have launched a boycott against the company on Facebook and a petition has been started urging them to rehire McLean.

This country has gone nuts. Sharing.

I'm done with Autozone.

There's a Pepboys closer to me anyway.

Screw them.

Wow. WTF?

I'm not familiar with the laws of others states and only somewhat familiar with the firearm laws governing us here in NJ. My question is, once the one guy left the store, he was out of harms way. Any danger to his life was eliminated once he was outside. Doesn't the fact that he returned, armed, now make him the aggressor and the person to be concerned with? Or is it possible that Virginia's laws are so loose, that it allows for someone to leave the seen of a robbery, go arm themselves, then return to the scene to shoot someone?

 

I'm not going to comment on how AutoZone reacted just quite yet, because I'm more concerned with my questions above.

If you read the article, the Sheriff asked him why he didn't shoot the robber as he fled.

 

Must be nice to live in America!

If you read the article, the Sheriff asked him why he didn't shoot the robber as he fled.

 

Must be nice to live in America!

 

 

OK, I missed that part.

I'm not familiar with the laws of others states and only somewhat familiar with the firearm laws governing us here in NJ. My question is, once the one guy left the store, he was out of harms way. Any danger to his life was eliminated once he was outside. Doesn't the fact that he returned, armed, now make him the aggressor and the person to be concerned with? Or is it possible that Virginia's laws are so loose, that it allows for someone to leave the seen of a robbery, go arm themselves, then return to the scene to shoot someone?

 

I'm not going to comment on how AutoZone reacted just quite yet, because I'm more concerned with my questions above.

 

I'm pretty sure even that would be moot because his manager was being held at gunpoint in the store. The actor was re-entering the store with his firearm not to foil the robbery per se, but because he reasonably believed that he needed to do so to save the life of another person who was in imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm

I dont even think in this shitty state would they have gone after him for that.

The only problem I have with this is that the guy didn't have a gun in violation of policy. He left it in his car like a good corporate slave. When there is a sudden emergency that he needs to resolve I think all rules should go out the window as long as the principle of "least harm" is followed. He tried to follow the rules but he had to step up to save a life.

I'm done with Autozone.

There's a Pepboys closer to me anyway.

Screw them.

Peps has the very same policy,most major retailers do.Has little to do with what's right and just and everything to do with possible libility.

Zero Tolerence presumes Zero Intelligence.

I sent an email to the company.

 

I just read the story of Devin McLean, one of your former employees who may have saved the life of his manager, and was then fired for violating a weapons policy. I'm disappointed in your companies poor decision making and narrow minded views. I assure you that I will never again spend my money with your company.

I'm not familiar with the laws of others states and only somewhat familiar with the firearm laws governing us here in NJ. My question is, once the one guy left the store, he was out of harms way. Any danger to his life was eliminated once he was outside. Doesn't the fact that he returned, armed, now make him the aggressor and the person to be concerned with? Or is it possible that Virginia's laws are so loose, that it allows for someone to leave the seen of a robbery, go arm themselves, then return to the scene to shoot someone?

 

I'm not going to comment on how AutoZone reacted just quite yet, because I'm more concerned with my questions above.

 

If there were amitigating circumstance here, it would be the other employee's life being at risk.

Let's not get excited even when the outcome is "wrong."

This sounds like the same policies implemented by banks. Tellers are trained not to resist for everyone's sake. Think about this. If you were the owner of a small business, would you tell your employees to have a firefight? Of course not. Liability issues, insurance issues, just plain common sense not to lose lives over $$$ that can be replaced. If you were the owner & you resisted without dangering your employees or customers, then it's your choice.

 

Thank god the outcome was a positive one. On a flip of a coin, it could've gone bad with 2 deceased employees. Get the drift?

I dont even think in this shitty state would they have gone after him for that.

Of course they would have, he wasn't on his way to the range.

Of course they would have, he wasn't on his way to the range.

 

Replace long gun for pistol and it would be ok

so do we need to order our auto parts from amazon now?

so do we need to order our auto parts from amazon now?

 

Advance Auto Parts or Pep Boys

Zero Tolerence presumes Zero Intelligence.

 

Fact.

 

I think it is despicable that we have to even contemplate any law in any state when involved in a situation that your immediate actions may be the difference in your life and the life of others. What SHOULD be of concern is what is the right thing to do, in my mind, in this situation. What a joke. And the pussification of Amerika (corporate Amerika in this case) continues...

 

Kudos to my fellow Airman.

<p>

Think about this. If you were the owner of a small business, would you tell your employees to have a firefight? Of course not.  Liability issues, insurance issues, just plain common sense not to lose lives over $$$ that can be replaced.

I am. I wouldn't tell them anything. There are more than two choices here. Also, it is not just plain common sense to assume that a manager forced top open a safe in a backroom at gunpoint can just give up stuff that can be replaced and keep his life. It is common sense that there is a double digit probability that his ass is grass whether he cooperates of not.

Why people would want to leave it in the hands of a criminal, who is in the process of committing a crime, while using a deadly weapon, to decide their fate, with the hope that this might actually be a swell guy with no intentions to hurt you, is mind boggling.

I plan to write a letter and never use autozone again. This is despicable

Jeez autozone is like 3 blocks from me. Oh well this is jersey I'll still use autozone

Funny I actually was planning to go to Autozone on Saturday to pick up a long list of random things I need. I will instead be spending my money at NAPA, the guys in NAPA know more about cars anyway I don't mind driving one town over.

 

Here is their contact page.

 

https://www.autozone.com/autozone/contactus/customerService.jsp?landingPageCategory=inOurStores&title=customer+service

Zero Tolerence presumes Zero Intelligence.

 

exactly

it means we don't want to fix the problem, just make it go away for now

no to autozone!

Why people would want to leave it in the hands of a criminal, who is in the process of committing a crime, while using a deadly weapon, to decide their fate, with the hope that this might actually be a swell guy with no intentions to hurt you, is mind boggling.

your chances of surviviing from a robbery at gunpoint is probably better if you cooperate. some crazies will kill you just for a donut. don't give them an excuse challenging their ego. go google FBI & law enforcement crime statistics. bad guys want $$$ & if you get in the way, you are just a casualty of the process.

Autozone has been anti gun for awhile. A good friend of mine who worked at an autozone was repramanded by his manager for looking at a gun magizene on his lunch break in the back of the store. He called the managers boss at their HQ and complained about the manager. The boss sided with the manager so my friend told them where they could stick it and quit on the spot. And this was not even in NJ it was in Ohio. After he told me that i have never bought anything from them.

Apparently they don't care about customers with guns. I carry in there about twice a month, been doing so for 5 years. Three stores in the area. They are the closest place to me with decent prices on cheap crappy oil, ramps, batteries, etc. I've also been in several between here and the PA Turnpike along 309. Quakertown, down by Philly, etc.

 

Of course, that doesn't mean they aren't an anti-gun company. Just sayin'. Maybe I stop by this week and ask for a manager to hear what they think about it round these parts.