Walmart employee fired after trying to help assault victim in store parking lot

HARTLAND, MI (WXYZ) - "The last thing I expected was to not have a job," said Kristopher Oswald, 30, who was fired from Walmart this week after he intervened to help a woman who was apparently being assaulted in the parking lot of the store.

It happened around 2:30 a.m. outside the Walmart store in the Livingston County town of Hartland.

Oswald, who worked stocking pet food on the overnight shift at Walmart, was spending his lunch break in his car when he heard a woman screaming and a man hanging onto the hood of her car.

At first, Oswald wondered if it was just people horsing around recklessly, but when he walked over to see if the woman was really in danger, he says the man began to attack him, punching him in the head while yelling "I'm going to kill you".

Oswald tells Action News that he was able to get on top of the man and just when he thought he had him under control, two other men jumped Oswald from behind.

Livingston County Sheriff deputies were quick to arrive, but Oswald says he wasn't expecting what Walmart did next.

The company fired Oswald and the reason given on his termination papers states: "after a violation of company policy on his lunch break, it was determined to end his temporary assignment".

Oswald only began working for Walmart about seven weeks ago and would not have been considered a permanent hire until a 180-day probation period ended.

Oswald says Walmart has policies against workplace violence to prevent employees from assaulting co-workers or tackling a shoplifter, but that it appears that nothing allows for them to assist in situations of imminent danger and self-defense.

Now that he's out of a job, Oswald says, "I don't even know what to put on an application about all of this. How do I say this ended?"

We asked Oswald if he would do it all over again, he replied, "I will always do the right thing."

Action News has left messages with Walmart's media relations team, but they have not responded.

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/walmar...g-to-help-woman-being-attacked-in-parking-log

At least its good to know if you're being raped, stabbed or killed in their parking lot, Walmart employees are instructed not to help their customers and wait for police where their minutes or longer away. I wonder how many times a person could be stabbed in a few minutes. Good thing I carry whenever I go into walmart.

 

There isn't anything like enough clear information to reach that conclusion. It does appear to be the conclusion the writer wants us to leap to though. Journalism is a thing of the past.

 

I can see Wal Mart's reasoning behind their policy, but EVERY policy has exceptions and situations where someone's life is in danger should surely qualify as an exception.

 

I'd like to hear a fuller explanation from Wal-Mart, and the police report. But on the face of it, this looks pretty stupid on Wal-Mart's part.

 

The policy is there, but this is one of those situations where management should've brushed it to the side...

The guy tried to help someone in danger...

 

This (*)(*)(*)(*) happens all the time , price of living in a politically correct society .

 

What does "politically correct" have to do with this? It's just a stupid corporate policy.

 

Wrong. It is the price of living in a society where corporations rule and the only law is the requirement to make a profit.

Walmart should just be glad that they do not have a lawsuit on their hands for failure to provide some level of security in their parking lot.

 

If the employee were injured, Walmart would have to pay for it; if the empolyee injured someone else, Walmart might would have to pay for it. That said, if the man truly was just walking over and got jumped, I don't see how he even violated a policy.

 

How do you know? The article doesn't present the policy or relate what actually happened to it.

Stop falling for the tabloid trash. This article should prompt more questions than statements (such are "Are people actually paid to write this?!").

 

The employee says as much in the article...

 

A politically correct policy .

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Wrong , it's the price of being in a politically correct society where everyone is scared of a lawsuit . Nice try.

 

politically correct? LOL

Wal Mart, and other large corporations, have such a policy because if for example an employee tries to stop a shoplifter and one or both of them are injured on the company's property then the company is financially responsible. Their lawyers have advised them that letting someone get away with shoplifting is cheaper than someone being injured.

It's the same policy, they just don't have an exception for people who come to the aid of others. They shouldn't need a written exception. Corporate rules are at the discretion of management and can be ignored when common sense is used. Unfortunately, common sense is pretty rare.

 

What do you even say about injustice? Beyond stupid.

 

It comes from our politically correct country and lawsuits for not being so. Companies have to protect themselves from major lawsuits because of this PC bull(*)(*)(*)(*). If our country wasnt filled with so many lawsuits , this (*)(*)(*)(*) wouldnt happen.

 

Words have meanings and political correctness has naught to do with lawsuit happy.There are PLENTY of politically INCORRECT people out there looking to sue anyone they can to make a buck.

 

It sounds like he was attacked first - how can Walmart accuse him of 'getting involved' just for defending himself from a violent attacker

He should sue Walmart for wrongful termination.

 

Just another reason to hate Wal-Mart.

 

Around here the Walmarts have security guards patrolling the parking lots, but I haven't seen one of them that looked less than 75 years old.

They remind me of that character Tim Conway used to play on Carol Burnett show.

[video=youtube;i_AwOIs2buE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_AwOIs2buE[/video]

 

In Obama's America doing the right thing is a matter of law suit and liability. There is no romm for individual action, only police state action.

 

He would be unable to if he was on probation. You can be let go for absolutely no reason during that time period.

 

He's a hero and will be hired for a better job.

 

Leave defense and violence prevention to the professionals (i.e. the police), slaves!

 

^ BAHAHAHAHA get a load of this guy, he thinks Obama had something to do with Wal Mart corporate policy.


By the way, I remember back when I was in college in the early 90s a friend worked at McDonalds and he told me that the store policy then was if someone tried to rob the store just give them the money don't resist, and that you could actually be fired if you did resist.

Guess Obama did that to.

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Not to mention, he got out of his vehicle and approached and confronted the guy, for good reason in my opinion but still.

 

There's one in Jacksonville on Normandy that's known for being dangerous at nights. They don't even have security there. Everytime my friend and I end up there I always remain on guard while in the parking lot. Their's been several robberies and I think(don't quote me on it)a few rapes.