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Video Of Walgreen’s Pharmacist Defending Himself

Jeremy Hoven was a pharmacist for Walgreens in Benton Township, Michigan. I say was because Walgreens fired him by e-mail a week after he defended himself and the store’s staff from a pair of armed robbers back in May.

Mr. Hoven has filed a wrongful termination suit against Walgreens. Mr. Hoven’s attorney, Peter Kosick, released to the media the surveillance tape of the event and ABC News has made it available.

As the tape clearly shows, Mr. Hoven was in the process of calling 9-1-1 when one of the robbers jumped over the counter and pointed a gun at him. It was only then that he drew his weapon and fired upon the robber.

Peter Kosick of St. Joseph, Hoven’s attorney, tells ABC News that, in his opinion, Walgreens should have commended his client for bravery. That, too, is the opinion of township police Lt. Delman Lange, who, after reviewing the surveillance video, told the local paper, “If it was me, I would have done the same thing.”

However, Walgreens disputes that Mr. Hoven should have protected himself along with the other employees in the store.

Though Hoven was licensed by the state of Michigan to carry a gun, Walgreen discourages its pharmacists from packing pistols. A spokeswoman for the drug chain told ABC News in an email that while Walgreens would not be able to disclose its policies, they were written to protect the safety of customers and employees. “Store employees receive comprehensive training on our robbery procedures and how to react and respond,” she wrote. Walgreens’ approach is “endorsed by law enforcement, which strongly advises against confrontation of crime suspects. Compromise is safer.”

While Walgreens says compromise is safer, the question is for whom? The employee or the company and their insurance company? I plan to stick with my decision made back in May to not give my patronage to Walgreens.

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H/T Stephen Wenger

UPDATE: ABC’s Good Morning America gave the story quite a bit of air time this morning. They even brought in one of their legal reporters to discuss the lawsuit. He made the point that even if they can prove that Mr. Hoven knew of the “non-escalation” policy, it seems like “a stupid time to enforce it.”

Saying No To Self-Protection

Saying no to self-protection seems to the modus operandi within corporate America. I put this down to risk managers making the calculation that it is cheaper to pay a death claim on a murdered employee than it to defend a lawsuit filed by a personal injury lawyer on behalf of a criminal.

The latest case involves the Walgreen’s chain of pharmacies.

Jeremy Hoven was the night shift pharmacist at the Benton Township, Michigan Walgreens. I say “was” because he was fired by Walgreens after he stopped an armed robbery by firing his 3-4 shots from his revolver at the criminals. Mr. Hoven holds a Michigan concealed carry permit and was one of four employees in the store when the attempted robbery took place. According to his interview with the Herald-Palladium of Southwest Michigan,

Hoven said his first hint something was wrong was seeing a manager run into a storeroom on the building’s west side. Seconds later he saw a man brandishing a handgun, guiding the second manager around the shelf at the northeast corner.

“The first thing I tried to do was dial 911 but I couldn’t get it done,” Hoven said. “Within seconds he was over the counter. And I’m looking at the wrong end of a 9-millimeter (gun). He was holding it gangster-style” – sideways.

The robber had jumped over the counter, leaving the manager in the aisle. The robber came within a few feet of Hoven.

Hoven said the only thing behind the attacker was a cinder block wall. Thus he pulled his gun and fired three or four shots.

“I was creating a safe zone for myself,” he said.

The attacker tried to fire back, but his gun either malfunctioned or the safety had been left on, Hoven said.

Mr. Hoven says he would do it again because he knows he did the right thing in protecting himself and his fellow employees.

As to Walgreens, on this past Monday they informed him by e-mail that he was fired. Frankly, I do not plan to give my patronage to a store that (a) cares so little about their employees’ safety and (b) has so little class that they fire the guy by e-mail.

H/T Brian