According to police, a Georgia Lowe’s employee was terminated after attempting to prevent three shoplifters from fleeing with $2,100 worth of products.
Donna Hansbrough, 68, was working at Lowe’s on June 25. This is when three suspects allegedly “loaded several things into shopping bags and left the store without payment for the merchandise,” per police.
Run Down of What Happened
According to the police, Donna Hansbrough attempted to apprehend one of the suspects by seizing the shopping cart.
Hansbrough never made contact with another individual. The carriage that Donna seized belonged to the subject, Takyah Berry. After Donna seized the shopping cart, Berry struck her three times in the face, causing her right eye to swell and turn black.
Shame on @Lowes for Donna Hansbrough. Shame!!! https://t.co/zbHBzKQtwA
— AngieR (@AngRugado) July 24, 2023
The total cost of the missing merchandise is $2,101.00. Jarmar LAWTON and Joseph Berry are the two suspects identified. Joseph is apparently Takyah’s uncle.
Hansbrough was allegedly terminated for attempting to prevent the burglary. Lowe’s claims her actions were an “infringement of [their] policy.”
Donna Hansbrough was fired from Lowe's in Rincon, GA after trying to stop shoplifters who punched her multiple times. It's against company policy for employees to intervene, but Donna says she couldn't just stand there and do nothing and that she loved her job. pic.twitter.com/kb4mJtE7o0
— Expose Them (@ExposeDarkDeeds) July 21, 2023
According to the findings of the investigation, Hansbrough spent 13 years working for the business. Per the authorities, Joseph Berry and his niece Takyah Berry have not been located.
Similar Circumstance
A Kansas woman who worked at Lowe’s in 2016 had a similar experience. Norma Haden claims she attempted to stop a man from taking a chainsaw by pursuing him and seizing the power tool, as reported by KWCH 12.
Apparently, other customers began to step in, prompting Haden to contact the police. Haden told the outlet that a member of human resources later informed her that she was required to allow the manager to contact the police before being terminated herself.
The policy that Lowe’s has in place to deal with shoplifters, according to a spokesperson for the company who talked with the outlet, is designed to keep both consumers and employees safe.
