After AutoZone employee Devin McClean stopped a serial thief from robbing the local auto parts store in York County, Virginia, some hailed him as a hero, but not the head honchoes at AutoZone. They saw McClean's actions as a reason for termination.
It's not the fact that McClean thwarted the would-be-robber, but how he did it.
When the “fake beard bandit," a repeat offender who has struck more than 30 stores in the area, recently entered the store with a gun in hand, McClean took it upon himself to stop the robbery. McClean darted out the door grabbed his gun, reentered the store and confronted the bandit. He was fired two days later.
Shortly after the incident, a Facebook group called "Boycott Autozone in support of Devin Mclean" popped up, asking community members to call AutoZone in support of McClean. Another campaign against AutoZone that calls for the company to publicly apologize, change its policy and reinstate McClean was also posted on a boycott site.
An Autozone representative told a local news channel that the company has a zero tolerance policy for employees bringing weapons into their stores.
This isn't the first time an employee has been fired for intervening in a robbery. In 2011, four Walmart employees were terminated after they disarmed and subdued a gun-toting assailant. Walmart policy directs employees to "disengage" and "withdraw" when a weapon is drawn.
Boycott Description
On 11-30-2012 a man that had been dubbed the "fake-beard bandit" (that has hit more than 30 businesses on the Peninsula.) Struck at a AutoZone in York County, Va.
Devin McClean, an AutoZone Employee was exiting the restroom when he seen the man enter the store with gun in hand. Devin waited for the man to move towards the cashier at the front of the store while he slipped out un-noticed to retrieve his legally owned firearm from his vehicle. After retreving it he returned with his weapon trained on the Criminal and Ordered the man to drop his weapon. The man then raised his arms in the air (without dropping the weapon) and fled the store.
Devin's Mannager, fellow employees and store Patrons Credit Devin for Possibly saving many lives and thanking him. Can't say the same for the AutoZone Corp. headquarters, shortly after hearing of the incident the AutoZone Corp. Fired Devin for Violation of their Corp. No Weapons Policy.
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Boycott Demands
1.For the AutoZone Corp. Headquarters to Publicly acknowledge the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution, and the Right to Self Defense.
2. For the the AutoZone Corp. Headquarters to change their No Weapons Policy to allow legally owned weapons in their stores and allow for AutoZone employees and Patrons to defend themselves and others should the need arise.
3. For the AutoZone Corp. Headquarters to Publicly issue an apology to Mr. Devin McClean and the AutoZone Employees and Patrons that were involved in this incident.
4. For the AutoZone Corp. Headquarters to offer Mr. Devin McClean his job back, should Mr. Devin McClean want to return to his employment with AutoZone
