Walgreens Employee Shoots And Kills Armed Robber After Showing Restraint, But Some Bullets Hit Unintended Marks

Photo courtesy Google Maps

TULSA, OKLAHOMA — A man is happy to be a concealed carrier after coming face to face with an armed robber at a Walgreens he was working at, and the end result was his need to fire a shot that killed the bad guy.

Pierce said the altercation began when the store clerk tried to verify that [William] Hurley was the rightful owner of the photographs, which had been in Walgreens’ possession for more than a year. Video from inside the store showed Hurley pull out a handgun, jump over the counter and grab the photos from the clerk while employees were trying to call police, Pierce said.

Via ABC News

The 52-year-old then appeared to be leaving with the photos, but he decided to come back straight towards the clerk.

That’s when the 28-year-old clerk drew his concealed carry firearm, for which he had a license to carry, and fired on Hurley.

The employee was not injured and was also not arrested because
“he was legally armed and that the evidence that we had at the scene supports a self-defense type of situation.”

It is against Walgreens policy for employees to carry firearms at work, and they have fired employees in the past who were found doing so, such as the time in 2011 when a pharmacist lost his job in Benton Harbor, Michigan after firing on thieves inside the store.

Footage from inside the store shows the incident, but it has not been released to the public.

From the details, it seems that the clerk showed some fine restraint in the beginning of this altercation. When Hurley first pulled out his gun and jumped over the counter, that’d be the cue for most armed citizens to draw their firearm. This clerk did not, and instead was hoping the threat would leave after getting what he wanted.

But when he got what he wanted and then came back for more, the clerk decided it was time to defend himself, and it would seem that he did a fine job in saving his life and possibly the lives of others.

There is a negative side of this story, which wouldn’t be fair to void from the record. During the shooting, two innocent bystanders were also struck with bullets.

The armed Walgreens employee was not injured, but another Walgreens employee who was at the photo counter and another customer were shot by stray rounds and were hospitalized [..]

Via TulsaWorld.com

Fortunately, both of them are expected to survive. In the heat of the moment, if someone makes that decision to draw their firearm, they should have every intention of using it. When using it, and before pulling the trigger, being as mindful as you possibly can about other people in the area is a must. We are responsible for every single bullet that leaves the barrel of our firearms, and sometimes an innocent person can catch one.

h/t Ned Miller