One incident involves a 68-year-old Lowes employee named Donna Hansbrough in Georgia. During a robbery at the store, she reached a breaking point and decided to take action against the three brazen shoplifters who had stolen thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. Despite knowing it was against company policy, she attempted to retrieve the stolen items. Unfortunately, one of the thieves responded violently and repeatedly punched Donna in the face, causing her to suffer a black eye and other injuries.
Donna had been a loyal employee at Lowes for 13 years, but her intentions to prevent theft led to her termination by the company, even though she was trying to protect the store and its merchandise.
From Headline USA:
In an interview with the Effingham Herald, Hansbrough recounted the harrowing experience. She explained, “They say that if you see somebody stealing something out the door, not to pursue, not to go out. I lost it.” She further added, “I grabbed the cart. I don’t actually remember going out but I did. And I grabbed the cart that had the stolen items in [it].”
Law enforcement officials are currently searching for the accused perpetrators – Takyah Berry, Joseph Berry, and Jamar Lawton. They have released photos of these individuals and called on the community to report any sightings or information related to their whereabouts.
Responding to her termination, Hansbrough expressed her shock, saying, “didn’t expect to get terminated, maybe a reprimand or a suspension. I just got tired of seeing things get out the door. I just, I lost it. I basically lost all the training. Everything they tell you to do, I just…I just lost it.”
It's honestly callous for Lowes to have terminated this woman.
Sure, she did break company policy, but just think about constantly dealing with the chaos of theft at your job. It would definitely trigger a psychological fight or flight response.
While Lowes can't single-handedly solve the retail theft epidemic across the nation, they should at least consider the impact on an employee who reaches their breaking point and acts on their human instincts.
