By Dean Weingarten
Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)-
Link to video
In 2013, Circle K revealed a corporate policy of disarming their employees.  Circle K fired an assistant manager in Georgia for having a firearm in violation of corporate policy, after he defended himself from an armed robber.  A clerk had been murdered in the store a few years previously. From 11alive.com:
Jarriel said Circle K suspended him right after the Saturday morning robbery and then gave him a firing notice Thursday for violating its company policy against guns on the property.
In Phoenix, Arizona, on the 6th of September, 2015, the robber shown above took advantage of the policy of having clerks disarmed by robbing three Circle K stores in one early morning hour between 4 and 5 a.m.  From abc15.com:
On September 6th between the hours of 4:20 a.m. and 5 a.m., a male entered three Circle K stores and robbed each at gun point.
The stores were located from Indian School Road to Van Buren Street and from 43rd to 59th avenues.
The screenshot shows what appears to be a full sized semi-automatic handgun in the right hand of the robber. The resolution is not good enough to establish the make or model. It looks real, but it is possible that it is a fake or a toy.  It is also possible that it is not loaded, has the wrong ammunition, or is inoperative. Armed criminals are known for their lack of technical knowledge of firearms, and for depending on a bluff to get what they want.
A defender should make the assumption that the threat is real, unless he has conclusive evidence to the contrary. Some knowledgeable members of the gun culture can easily determine if a gun is real, a toy, or a BB gun. If the lighting is right, it is possible to see if a revolver is loaded or not by looking at the front of the cylinder.
From what is shown, the use of deadly force would have been justified, if anyone had decided to resist.
Policies such as Circle K’s, may attract robbers and increase risk instead of decreasing risk for innocent people. Some states have changed their law to reflect that possibility.
Wisconsin granted immunity from liability to establishments that allow their customers and/or employees to be armed. Similar legislation has been considered in several other states.    From Wis. Stat. § 175.60(21)(b), (c):
(b) A person that does not prohibit an individual from carrying a concealed weapon on property that the person owns or occupies is immune from any liability arising from its decision.
In Wisconsin, a business that requires its employees to be disarmed rejects the immunity from liability that the law offers.
How long it will be before an injured employee or their survivors, sue a business for creating an unsafe working environment by requiring their employees be disarmed in the face of the clear and present danger of armed robbery?
In the Phoenix case, no one was injured or killed.  I hope that Circle K employee’s luck will continue to last.
c2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included. Link to Gun Watch
About Dean Weingarten;
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
How about CK have their clerks just leave their cash drawer on the counter and not is a cash register. That way, those that wish to rob them don’t have to put the clerk’s life at risk. Just walk up to the counter, take the money and leave. They don’t even have to interact with the cashier. So much simpler a safe for everyone, right?
It is a stupid policy that only invites robbery, but you do have a choice where you work.
I will not patronize Circle K again for endangering their employees by denying them the basic civil right of self defense.
If you go through and look at ccompany policy they don’t even want security personal at the stores, it is almost as if they want someone to get hurt. If an employee does get injured that puts liability right 8n the companies lap. The cCo.would then deserve to get sued for not allowing ddefensive weapons.
I wonder if the CEO of Circle K would work the graveyard shift under this current store policy ?
Sad when companies don’t allow people to defend your self. I would rather be fired than a victim. I would sue for failling to ensure a violence free workplace , making them a victim.