Colorado Springs Clerk Fired For Defending Himself With His Firearm

It’s a terrible end to a horrible day, but that’s just what Lee Satterthwaite had. When two armed men busted into the convenience store he worked at, it was the definition of a bad day. The two armed assailants pointed weapons at Satterthwaite’s face and demanded money. It was a harrowing situation, to say the least.

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Which might be why Satterthwaite drew his own pistol in self-defense.

Now, Satterthwaite is out of a job, fired for having a gun on the premises.

Two weeks ago, Lee Satterthwaite was working the overnight shift at Wester Convenience store on Fillmore street in Colorado Springs when two armed suspects entered the store around 3 a.m. pointing their weapons at him demanding money. “Looking down the barrel of a gun that you know is wielded with hostile intent, is frightening,” says Satterthwaite.

When he asked the suspects to not point their weapons at his face and they didn’t listen, he drew his weapon. “They kept pointing their guns at my head, I stepped behind cover and drew my weapon.”

The suspects were frightened by the gun. When Satterthwaite tried to grab one of the suspects weapons he was shot in the left arm. He says, “It felt like getting stabbed.” The bullet went through his arm and out his elbow.

Both suspects escaped without Satterthwaite ever firing a shot. He was taken to the hospital for a minor injury and went back to work that same morning.

Two weeks later, Satterthwaite received a call from his manager saying he was fired for bringing a gun to work. Also, because of the shooting, the store says they are getting rid of the overnight shift and no longer needed him. He was shocked that he was fired for simply trying to defend himself.

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Has anyone else noticed that the jobs where you’re most likely to need a gun on the job tend to be lower-paying jobs with no real security to speak of but won’t let people carry their privately owned firearms?

Satterthwaite’s experience isn’t unique by any stretch of the imagination. It wasn’t all that long ago when Jennifer Wertz was fired from a Circle K following a similar situation.

Unfortunately, it’s way too common for clerks in these stores to find themselves looking at the business end of a firearm, to fear for their lives, and to need to respond with a firearm of their own. Also unfortunately, many of these businesses have policies that seek to disarm their law-abiding employees, making them attractive targets to criminals.

Frankly, unemployment isn’t such a bad thing when your job apparently would prefer to see you dead.

Stores like these know they’re inviting targets. They know it and they also know there’s very little they can do to prevent robberies. Yes, they put in place policies they think will minimize risk to employees. That’s all fine and good until someone comes in with harmful intent. They don’t want to just rob the place, they want to hurt someone.

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What then?

They’ve now created a ready-made environment for these predators.

I hope that Satterthwaite can get back on his feet with someone who knows and understands that people shouldn’t be forced to become victims over a paycheck.

Hat tip: America’s First Freedom

 

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