A gas station attendant in New Hampshire who stopped an attempted robbery by pulling a gun on the thief was fired due to company policy that bars employees from carrying.
Shannon "Bear" Cothran, who spoke with the Telegraph of Nashua, was working his shift at a Shell station in the southern city of Nashua early Monday, when a man walked up to the clerk wielding a knife. Cothran pulled out a gun, and the thwarted robber ran away, police confirmed to the Telegraph.
According to surveillance video from the store, the masked man entered the gas station with a knife in his hand. Cothran is then seen pulling out his Ruger pistol.
"He just said 'alright, alright' and backed off and made his way out the door," Cothran told CBS Boston. "I knew exactly what I was doing. I made a conscious choice to protect my life and put myself in a situation where I would have to find new employment."
Cothran then lodged a report with Nouria Energy Corporation - the company that owns the gas station - and was fired a few hours later, despite the fact that both the store and district managers petitioned to keep him employed.
Nouria released a statement on Wednesday, detailing their policy on workers and firearms. The corporation said that it tells cashiers to give thieves the money and items they ask for during a robbery, and to avoid any potentially dangerous situations that might exacerbate the incident.
"Make no mistake: We care about the personal well-being of employees like Mr. Cothran, whose years of service are truly appreciated-not about the money in the cash register," the statement read. "So, we are especially grateful that this situation was resolved without injury. We do respect the constitutional right to bear arms. However, we believe the best way to keep our employees and customers safe is to prohibit weapons in the workplace."
The corporation reported that its rules are in line with police policies on robberies, as well as other companies in the industry.
