A Papa John’s pizza delivery driver in Georgia is worried she will lose her job after she shot an armed robber in self-defense Sunday night.
The employee was making a delivery in Decatur when she says she was ambushed by a man wielding a gun.
“She arrived at the location and a male began approaching the vehicle she thought was there to pick up the pizza,” DeKalb County Police Department Capt. Stephen Fore said, according to WSBTV. “When he got to her he produced a handgun and forced her out of the vehicle and on to the ground.”
But the woman, who has not been identified, had a gun in her pocket and was able to reach it while on the ground. From there, she was able to shoot her assailant, hitting him in the face.
The man, identified as 24-year-old Donquaz Stevenson, was arrested after being found in a nearby yard.
“She had no other choice,” Fore told WSBTV of the delivery driver. “She must have been in fear for her life and she reacted.”
Though the gun possibly saved the woman’s life, she is worried that she will lose her job because she was carrying a gun while on the clock, her mother told reporters.
According to numerous past reports, Papa John’s is one of many pizza delivery chains which prohibits employees — including delivery drivers — from carrying firearms, even for protection.
That despite food delivery being among the riskiest occupations, due to the cash workers carry with them.
Some companies have sought to protect employees from being targeted by limiting how much money they are allowed to carry at any given time.
While information on the company’s gun policy is limited, a Papa John’s franchisee in Houston posted its employee handbook online which instructs employees, “Never carry any kind of weapon on your person or in your vehicle.”
Reached by phone Tuesday, the manager at the Decatur store where the woman works said that she could not comment on the incident or on the woman’s job status. She also refused to answer questions about the company’s policy pertaining to delivery drivers carrying firearms and hung up on The Daily Caller.
Papa John’s corporate spokesman also did not return repeated phone and email requests for comment.
Update: Papa John’s issued an official statement on Thursday saying that following an investigation, the company decided that the employee will not be fired. Instead, she will be reassigned to a job inside the store. A company spokesperson also said that the company has no plans to change its policy regarding employees carrying firearms.
“The shooting that occurred during a Papa John’s delivery in Atlanta recently is a tragic event. The safety of Papa John’s employees is a top priority for our company. Company policy prohibits employees from utilizing firearms in the performance of their duties. We plan no changes to our current policy, which is designed to protect customers and employees. Upon investigation and considering the specific facts of the situation, we have reassigned the employee to work in the store and are offering her counseling to help her recuperate from the incident.”