A female delivery driver at a Papa John’s location in DeKalb County, Georgia, shot a robbery suspect in the face this past Sunday night, local media reports.
“She arrived at the location and a male began approaching the vehicle she thought was there to pick up the pizza,” Capt. Stephen Fore with the DeKalb County Police Department told WSB-TV.
“When he got to her he produced a handgun and forced her out of the vehicle and on to the ground,” Fore continued.
However, when she was on the ground, the victim drew her own handgun and shot the suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Donquaz Stevenson, in the face.
After shooting Stevenson, a second suspect jumped in the victim’s car and took off. The second suspect is still on the loose.
Meanwhile, Stevenson took off running and was found in a yard not too far away from where the shooting occurred.
As for the victim, she is still recovering from the emotional toll the incident has had on her, plus she now worries that she may lose her job because she brought a firearm to work.
But police say that the gun may have saved the woman’s life.
“She had no other choice. She must have been in fear for her life and she reacted,” Fore said.
First whatever happened to coherent writing? Did the second suspect shoot his partner too? This article implies that he did.
My son delivered pizza for Papa John’s. They are a lousy employer, and any other job this young woman can find, if they fire her would be better.
My son got a concealed carry permit, at my insistence, and while he was delivering pizza and he carried one of my pistols. There’s no way he could have afforded to buy anything better than a used Jennings with what they paid.
A lot of these comments have good and horrible opinions or endless ranting about situations out of our control. Instead of bitching about it or expressing your opinions on a social media sight(which is perfectly fine) how about we get up and do something about it? Put effort into this situation in a real life POV, cause sitting on here complaining about delivery businesses not allowing firearms for protection isn’t getting you anywhere. Put your 2 cents where it can make a difference, duh!
We like Papa Johns pizza and order it once or twice a month. However if this woman gets fired for protecting herself we will not be Papa John’s customers anymore.
I understand the motivations of criminals, lawyers, governments, and corporations; my money. The only difference is the method each uses to extract from me. Employers and governments make rules/laws and I choose which ones to follow. Lawyers and criminals usually present me 1 or more bad options. I don’t always respond in the manner that they think I will but I always do what is best for me.
If I’m delivering pizza, I guarantee you nobody survives robbing me. I’m not going to announce it at work and I’m not gonna wait to find out if all the crook wants is the money. The perp should have chosen another line of work or another victim. Boom, boom! I pick-up the shell casings and either complete the delivery or eat the pizza on the way back to work for my next order. ‘F’ Papa John’s. “Somehow, I went to the wrong address and I got robbed. I complied with their demands and they took the pizza.” Where’s my next delivery..
The only thing she did wrong was let the 2nd perp escape and then she collapsed emotionally most likely resulting in the loss of her job. I know it sounds harsh but she knew this could happen (as she was properly armed and executed a plan possibly saving her life). It’s just the realization of actually following thru even with a justifiable shooting/killing with which most ‘normal’ people have issue. I’m not truly sure how I’d react but I’m pretty sure I’d sleep like a baby with a 100% clear conscience. I applaud her quick assessment of the situation and excellent shooting. She needs work on engaging a 2nd assailant but that comes with practice. Mainly, she needs to get her mind right. If she spends another minute fretting about the scumbag she shot, she needs to think about the how she was being forced toward the abyss of death and she single-handedly defeated the worthless crooks thru her own guile, preparation, and determination. Now THAT is truly empowering. It is also a proper example of gun control.
You GO GIRL….!!!! I salute you and would be honored to pay for more shooting classes. I’m sure I could benefit from meeting someone with such incredible backbone. The survival instinct is powerful and the firearm is the #1 tool for those least capable of defending themselves. Why won’t the bleeding hearts in society recognize this!? If it’s Conan the Barbarian vs little lady with a 357, guess who I’ll bet on.
Yes, it’s a kill or be killed world that we must navigate. Corporations, governments, lawyers, and criminals all want to disarm us ostensibly for their safety but we all know it’s for a profit/power motive. I am the only 1 qualified and prepared to make every decision regarding my safety/security. They’ve got their plan and I’ve got mine. She had hers. Awesome!
Thank God she shot the asshole Donquaz in the face and she lived through it.
To hell with that crappy job that almost got you killed.
Hopefully a smart businessman who can appreciate your awareness may have seen you on the news, and hires you to a great job.
Good shooting!!
Bet Donquez feels stupid. Hope the girl keeps her job or a 2nd Amendment employer gives her another.
Having worked pizza delivery before, I do know that the company’s policy that I worked for was simply give up the money, then report it asap.
As far as the no gun while out and about – I believe it in part is due to concern over customer getting upset if they find out they had someone bringing a gun onto their property without notice or permission.
I just hope everything goes alright for her, and that she gets the car back (if it’s hers).
Jeff,
It is about Papa John’s getting sued over and over again if they allowed their drivers to carry. That in effect means they are endorsing that their staff carry firearms which allows the P.O.S. robber and their family to come back and sue the company with the deep pockets for the injuries the P.O.S. robber sustained when the mean delivery driver shot them. Even if the lawsuit does not result in a judgement for the P.O.S. robber, it costs the company a lot of money in legal fees to defend the actions of the delivery person. It is not about a customer getting upset if they find out they had someone bringing a gun onto their property without notice or permission. Also then Papa John’s would have to allow the workers in the store to carry as well. Do you think they would want to be known as the Pizza Chain that is armed?? That also might impact their bottom line…
Bob
That is the dumbest comment I have ever read. I’d ask you to site sources for your info but that would be a waste of time…
No matter what Papa John’s decides to do this young lady has proven her worth and is to be admired. SOLUTION – DeKalb County employers should step up and offer this woman employment suitable to her abilities. I can only imagine that she would continue to show her value as an employee for the right company. Do it today.
This may need a follow-up to find out if she was fired or kept her job.
In todays America it has become a right wing rich mans paradise. Employees are considered Troglodytes to be exploited by paying them minimum wage, no holidays with pay, many times no holidays at all, no retirement and no training or protection. They are considered expendable in all aspects. Lets face facts the owners of Papa Johns do not want to go to court for killing robbers (they have to make a living too) and besides its a no loss tax right off as well. Keep it this way and its always a win, win for Papa Johns and if the employees family does not have life insurance too bad, Papa Johns is not required by law to provide any. Don’t you just love pure Capitalism.
What part of America do you live in? Not my part. You must be in a libtard democrat oppressed area. If you have half a brain you’d move to a region where you have a competitive market to seek employment. Not only do you have the liberty to move about , you can exercise other rights and freedoms by refusing to work for an employer that is oppressive, or unionize the workforce. Plenty fought and died for your right to do nothing but sit in your moms basement and whine also.
Come on C.Fox
I spot these guys a mile away
This dipshit’s not from America, can’t you tell?
Just what could be the agenda of these antigun/America freaks that visit our firearm forums?
They can’t actually think they will change our opinions, do they?
It really has to make you wonder.
Now How Did I Know The Gun Man is Black.??????? Only Low-Life Black would ever think a Pizza Deliver has more than $1,000.00 on them.?????
Right, I’m sure Donquaz is Swedish or something…
Thank God this brave woman was able to carry a weapon to protect herself. Thanks Founding fathers.
Keep your job or keep your life? If she gets fired I hope another employer recognizes she has smarts and hires her.
I will follow up this story. If Pappa Johns fires her, I shall NEVR get another pizza from them. My group of friends (as we watched NFL football all agreed to do the same!
If Papa Johns takes action against her all gun owners should remind them that they are not the only pizza shop in town!!!!
I agree that a boycott should occur but I hate Papa Johns pizza. It’s nasty garbage in my opinion. So I already boycott it.
I don’t believe that the “can’t carry a gun on the job” is limited to Pappa Johns, I believe that most pizza delivery companies have this kind of rule.
That being said, it may be better to carry on the job, and risk having to look for another job than to have somebody else taking care of your funeral arrangements.
Like any situation in life, YOU are the person who is most responsible for your safety.
Or Calvin, it may be better to pursue higher education or a trade so you don’t have to be limited to working this type of job??
Bob, you’re not thinking clearly in your desire to create dialogue. Most of us worked these kinds of jobs WHILE we were getting our doctorates.
I agree that a boycott should occur but I hate Papa Johns pizza. It’s nasty garbage in my opinion. So I already boycott it.
I agree that a boycott should occur but I hate Papa Johns pizza. It’s nasty garbage in my opinion. So I already boycott it.
Yep!
I agree. Pizza delivery is only a little less hazardous than being a Cabby- you never know who or what you’re going to run into on a run…….
If she was using her own vehicle,then any anti gun rule at her place of employment should be irelevant .The car is hers and if she is at the point of “delivery”, she’s not on Papa John’s property. If they ban firearms in their buildings that’s their right (even though it’s a dumb rule ) But no one should have the ability to tell a law abiding adult what legal items they can carry in their car. (A pack of smokes,a revolver, ETC )
Problem is that they may have a policy that states employees cannot carry a weapon in the performance of their job duties. I am not saying I agrre with that policy, but it may be company policy. If I were the employee I would sue Papa John’s for putting her in this type of delivery situation without proper training and protection. Why the story does not state if the delivery was to a home address, you wonder if any deliveries had previously been made to this area? A deadend end road in a dimly lit area?? What training did PapaJohn’s provide to delivery drivers who may encounter this type of situation?? Perhaps if they had trained her to just back out if she sees this vehicle sitting there on this deadend dimly lit road the incident doesn’t even occur. Of course Papa John’s doesn’t want the neagtive publicity of a delivery driver shooting someone in the face, but what other option did this woman have?? Hopefully Papa John’s does the right thing by not firing her and reviews their training protocol and retools the program to help these delivery drivers in the future.
In the 70’s I worked for Household Finance, colleting past due accounts. A debtor pulled 38 revolver on me in thier house.
I reported it to police and got basically the sam story. No personal complaint could be filed because I was there for work related issues. Company did some legal mumbo jumbo, really nothing as stern as it should have been. But, slamming the door, which broke the glass and kicking his dog of the proch was a little gratifying at the time.
If kicking the dog made you happy, there is something wrong with you!
Larry,
Well the dog seems agitated at the time. Lucked out not getting shot but wasn’t going to get bitten either.
kick my dog and you get shot,thats a no brainer
Kind of hard to believe your story Keith. Man has gun drawn and pointed at him and police say they can’t take action because it was related to a work issue??? Where did you come up with this story??? Then you leave apparently unharmed and you break the glass in his door and kick his dog and the armed homeowner doesn’t get upset and come after you??? The company did some legal mumbo jumbo? What does that mean? Did they compensate the debtor for the damage you inflicted on the home and the dog
You are wrong Slick. It is not just about not being able to be armed in their building but it is about the performance of their job duties. In this case, she is a delivery driver using her own vehicle to make deliveries. Assuming Georgia allows CCW permit holders to carry the weapon in their cars, she is still making deliveries for the employer Papa Johns and they can make rules governing what employees are allowed to do while performing their job duties. I do not agree with that but that’s the way it is. It is more than having the legal right to carry a firearm in her vehicle. She would not necessarily have been in that neighborhood at that time if she wasn’t performing her job duties of delivering pizza for Papa Johns. Again, more training for these drivers including situational awareness would go a long way in making the driver’s job safer.
I am tired of businesses that disarm their employees, but fail to pick up any responsibility for their safety. If Papa John’s has policies about their delivery people being armed, then they should be required by law to provide security and provide insurance for any on the job injuries. If Papa John’s disarms their employees, then they should be required by law to have an armed guard in every car to protect their disarmed employees. Pizza delivery is one of the most dangerous jobs out there, to disarm their drivers is to set them up for being robbed. The company MUST bear responsibility for its actions.
GreenWolf,
If Papa John’s is not going to allow a delivery driver to arm themselves, do you realistically think they would put an armed guard in the same car?? Why would they expand payroll by adding armed guards when the amount of an average delivery is about $20? The reason why, liability. All of the lawsuits that would result in drivers shooting robbers and perhaps a customer or two along the way. I am sure that the state requires Papa John’s to carry liability and worker’s compensation insurance but probably does not require them to provide any type of security. The issue is training and that would fall under OSHA’s general duty clause.
You completely missed the point of the comment you replied to. You are correct, this IS a matter of liability. In true, just, fairness, you may not tell someone that they cannot protect themselves. If you do tell them that for [whatever] reason, then you have assumed the responsibility to do so even if your reasons are [whatever]. This is just simple moral integrity. You are, however, correct that in our barbaric and uncivilized society we not only allow this kind of psychotic behavior, but actually punish those who resist it. The commentor is trying to make the point that this is illogical and wrong-headed. He is saying that they would be much better off to just let the employs retain their responsibility to protect themselves by carrying a firearm. He is inferring that the law should hold them at a more expensive liability for not letting them be armed than for anything caused by having a firearm.
Doc,
Your comment: In true, just, fairness, you may not tell someone that they cannot protect themselves. What are you trying to say? Your choice of words is very poor. An employer can make rules that are reasonable and enforce them. Real simple. I don’t know of any employersin my area that allow employees to carry other then gun shops. Sorry those teachers at the schools do not have the right to carry at work. Again keeping it simple here…
Great pizza but if they refuse her the right to defend herself, they lose my business! Some companies don’t see the big picture. I hope the young lady recovers from her tragic experience and I applaud her for self defense action that may very well have saved her life.
Wrong doc. I didn’t miss the point you and greenwolf did. Why can’t you get through your thick skull that the business is not going to allow employees to carry guns and shoot people because they don’t want to be sued over and over again. I’m not saying I agree with it, this is simply reality. Yes as the employer they can establish work rules including you will not carry a weapon on our property or while you are out making deliveries of our pizza. Real simple. Read it again,perhaps it will sink in the second time. When Papa John’s tells them they can’t carry a weapon while working for them they do have a responsibility to provide training on what to do if a robber confronts them and also how to recognize situations that could develop in robberies. Then tell them to call 911 if they suspect something is going down. They are not required to provide armed security nor to permit staff to carry. It is really about what is reasonable. The driver can opt to carry against company policy but should probably expect to lose her job if the company learns she is carrying or she uses the weapon. I am not saying I agree it’s just the way it is…..
I work as a driver and all companies have that ruling. Maybe some if the smaller companies are different but the major 3 are that way. Its not just guns either. Any weapon found in your car or on your person is immediate termination. Doesn’t stop some if us though.
Things changed in my mind when a driver got killed in my area. As soon as that happened I got a gun the next day. No questions. I have a family to go home to.