Lowe's rehired an employee it fired after she tried to stop a group of shoplifters, getting punched in the face 3 times in the process
A Lowe's in Georgia has rehired a woman it fired for trying to stop suspected shoplifters.
The 13-year employee was left with a black eye after one suspect assaulted her, local police said.
Lowe's said she had violated company policy. "I didn't expect to get terminated," she told local news.
A Lowe's store in Georgia has rehired a woman it fired for trying to stop alleged shoplifters.
Local police said Donna Hansbrough, who had worked at the store in Rincon, just north of Savannah, for 13 years, was assaulted during her attempt to prevent the suspected shoplifters from leaving.
The Rincon Police Department said that on June 25, three people visited the Lowe's store, "loaded multiple items into shopping carts, and exited the store without paying for the merchandise." Hansbrough attempted to stop one of the people by grabbing a shopping cart but didn't make any contact with the woman pushing it, the police said. The woman then struck Hansbrough in the face three times, causing her right eye "to swell and blacken," according to the police.
The total value of the stolen merchandise was $2,101, the police said.
Rincon police said that as of Monday, one of the suspects hadn't been apprehended. Police said the suspect may have been involved in a "similar theft" at a Walmart near Savannah on the same day.
Hansbrough "was fired for attempting to stop the theft" because her action of grabbing the cart violated company policy, the police said. Many retailers have strict policies that prohibit staff from stopping shoplifters.
"They say that if you see somebody stealing something out the door, not to pursue, not to go out," Hansbrough told local news outlet The Effingham Herald. "I lost it."
"I didn't expect to get terminated," she continued. "Maybe a reprimand or a suspension." A fundraiser set up for Hansbrough raised more than $25,000.
Lowe's confirmed to The Herald on Monday that Hansbrough had been given her job back.
"After senior management became aware of the incident and spoke to Donna Hansbrough today, we are reinstating her job and we are pleased that she has accepted the offer to return to Lowe's," Larry Costello, Lowe's senior manager of corporate communications, told the outlet.
"There's nothing more important than the safety of our customers and associates. Products can be replaced; people cannot."
"We continue to work closely with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those who are responsible for this theft and violent attack," Costello continued.
Lowe's did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside of regular working hours.
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