Hero fired for being a hero

[Dion]

It cost him his job at a Round Rock Randalls, but Troy Schafer, who was fired last week after chasing a purse snatcher out of the grocery store, said he didn't have much choice.

A U.S. Army veteran who said he spent some time in South Korea in the 1990s, Schafer, 36, took up the chase with help from a customer, he said.

The customer called police as Schafer collected Welch's purse, which had already been gone through and dropped in the field near some trees. Then Schafer chased the suspect for about another quarter-mile before police caught up and arrested the 15-year-old.

"We got (Welch) her purse back, all of her money, everything," Schafer said. "Then, the next day, my loss prevention unit from Randalls came in and said I was suspended without pay."

A few days later, Schafer said, he was fired.

"In a split-second decision, when someone is screaming for help, what do you do?" he asked. "I did what I thought was right. I still feel like I did the right thing. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror the next day if I didn't help that lady."

http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...8randalls.html

[Locke]

No good deed goes unpunished.

[mikey_the_redneck]

I guess we are all supposed to stand around like dummies and allow criminals to rip us off while we wait hours for "help".

Backwards.....

[GirlySports]

It was just on CNN.

Yup from now on if you're working, just stand around.

[Dion]

Hopefully the community shames this company in to hiring Shafer back.

Give that guy a medal or some award for his cat of bravery.

[Joborule]

Seems like the one who fired him may be getting fired soon with all this publicity this may bring...

[Khel]

Seriously? They couldn't just give the guy a warning?

[Weiser Wonder]

Can't believe he has fired for that, Randalls "Loss prevention unit" needed to use better discretion. And seriously, doesn't a term like "loss prevention unit" make you want to die just a little?

[ken0042]

I can see the store's point to a certain extent. He is hired to be a loss prevention person for the store. During the time when he was off running after the kid the store was vulnerable.

It's not like he chased the kid a block; it was a 1/4 mile.

Edit- not saying they should have fired the guy- but he could have been given a warning.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

I used to work for Safeway and chased a shoplifter around the parking lot and the dude dropped the bag of crap that he loaded up. I got in crap from the bosses when I got back in the store. You are told not to chase shoplifters. I know this guy chased a purse snatcher, but it's kinda the same thing. Company guidelines suck ass.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by ken0042

It's not like he chased the kid a block; it was a 1/4 mile.

How far is a block normally?

[FlamesAddiction]

Something similar happened in Toronto back in 2005. It was around Christmas and a teenage girl was fatally shot in Eaton Centre (an innocent bystander). The security guard from HMV (if I recall correctly) ran to her and tried to save her life. He was apparently fired later for leaving his post at the store.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

How far is a block normally?

I know in the NE that 16th ave, 32nd ave, McKnight (48th ave), and 64th ave are all a mile apart. So this guy would have chased him 4 blocks.

My point was not the exact measure of the distance, but that it wasn't just past the doors or anything.

[mykalberta]

Thank trial lawyers and lawsuits in the US for this. There is a reason large US companies have these company policies.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

It was just on CNN.

Yup from now on if you're working, just stand around.

City road maintenance workers have been doing that for decades.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Thank trial lawyers and lawsuits in the US for this. There is a reason large US companies have these company policies.

The Law Society must be behind it.

[fatso]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Thank trial lawyers and lawsuits in the US for this. There is a reason large US companies have these company policies.

Ya, it's clearly the lawyers who are instigating these policies. It could have nothing to do with businesses requiring their individual employees to prioritize the business's profit motive over that individual's ethical obligations to citizens.

[Clever_Iggy]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Thank trial lawyers and lawsuits in the US for this. There is a reason large US companies have these company policies.

How so? Please, enlighten me.

[Buff]

When I worked at Canadian Tire I would help out the "loss prevention officers" and there was three or four occasions when we chased down the shoplifters a few blocks away from the store.

[@theCBE]

Originally Posted by troutman

The Law Society must be behind it.

I heard they are creating a statute right now that outlaws any hero type activity. Maybe we can spread some common law to fight it.