Pizza Hut drivers uses his concealed to protect himself

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http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9968442

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IRMO, SC (WIS) - Officials say four people tried to rob a pizza delivery man Saturday night, but the man ended up shooting and killing one of the attackers.

Deputies say the incident happened at about 10:30pm Saturday.

Lexington County Sheriff James Metts says 18-year-old Jason Todd Beckham, 20-year-old Carlos Renard Dates, 18-year-old Justin Towan Roundtree and 17-year-old Paul Andrew Sturgill, Jr. placed an order with the Pizza Hut on Irmo Drive for two large pizzas to be delivered to a home on Avery Place Lane.

The owner of the home did not know the four men, and didn't know his home was being used as a location for a robbery, Metts said.

The delivery man, 43-year-old Christopher Steven Miller, told deputies Sturgill was standing on a sidewalk outside the home when Miller arrived to deliver the pizzas. Miller told deputies Sturgill asked him whether Miller could make change for a $100 bill, and Miller saw that Sturgill had no cash in his wallet.

Miller says he saw two men run out of some nearby woods towards him, and tried to run away. However, Miller says Sturgill began to punch him.

While Sturgill was hitting him, Miller told deputies that he took a .45-caliber handgun from his fanny pack and shot Sturgill in the upper torso.

Miller called 911, and deputies arrived to find Miller bleeding from his nose and Sturgill lying on the ground.

EMTs took Sturgill to Palmetto Health Richland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives arrested Beckham Sunday morning at Sturgill's home. Deputies and a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force arrested Dates Sunday afternoon at his home.

Roundtree is still on the loose, and Metts says he is a member of a criminal gang.

An autopsy will be performed on Sturgill Monday.

Beckham and Dates are being held at the Lexington County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing Monday morning on charges of robbery and criminal conspiracy.

Miller has a concealed weapons permit, and has not been charged, Metts said. However, the incident remains under investigation.

Metts asked anyone with information about the incident, additional crimes involving Beckham, Dates, Roundtree and Sturgill or the whereabouts of Roundtree to call 1-888-CRIME-SC.

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Pizza Hut will probably fire the guy for defending his life. :?

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Last time one of the two will rob someone.

But ya, he is going to be let go now.

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Yeah, they usually do fire people for carrying as I remember. That's why I don't eat there.

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Getting fired is a damned site better than being dead.

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"An autopsy will be performed on Sturgill Monday."

Acute lead poisoning. I'm not a doctor, but I did stay at a holiday inn...

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This is, what, the second or third time in the last six months or so? What is Pizza Hut's problem? If their drivers are getting robbed that often maybe they should be REQUIRED to carry, rather than being fired for it.

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Michigander wrote:

Yeah, they usually do fire people for carrying as I remember. That's why I don't eat there.

Click to expand...

Does anyone know if this is a corporate policy?

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AWDstylez wrote:

This is, what, the second or third time in the last six months or so? What is Pizza Hut's problem? If their drivers are getting robbed that often maybe they should be REQUIRED to carry, rather than being fired for it.

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The lives of employees (andin-house customers)are secondary to corporate image. Just as the lives of citizens are secondary to political agendas...

The obvious deterrent solution escapes them.

We've had our on-line differences Stylz... but I'm certain you'll agree with this observation.

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The Pizza Hut I used to work at (in Ohio) had the following policy... you don't bring it into the store, we don't ask any questions. I don't know if they had a firearms policy for employees as at that time, I was 18 and didn't care so much about them. I assumed that everyone had one since in the Mid-West, that's a pretty good assumption.

Which everyone was okay in following. The store manager was more concerned about his people being okay than anything else. Might be why he's still in charge of his store and that it is so damn profitable year after year. His people work harder knowing he cares about them.

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Sonora Rebel wrote:

AWDstylez wrote:

This is, what, the second or third time in the last six months or so? What is Pizza Hut's problem? If their drivers are getting robbed that often maybe they should be REQUIRED to carry, rather than being fired for it.

Click to expand...

The lives of employees (andin-house customers)are secondary to corporate image. Just as the lives of citizens are secondary to political agendas...

The obvious deterrent solution escapes them.

We've had our on-line differences Stylz... but I'm certain you'll agree with this observation.

Click to expand...

Of course.

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Here are some clips from the State ARticle



http://www.thestate.com/local/story/709391.html

"Miller, who said he has delivered pizza for about 10 years, has resigned because Pizza Hut bans employees’ carrying weapons, corporate spokesman Chris Fuller said. "

I love the last quote by prosecutor Myers!



"Lexington County Sheriff James Metts said the suspects — all former Irmo High students — are “callous.”

Metts said he thinks, but has no proof, they ate the $25.13 worth of pizza as Sturgill lay dying beside a driveway across the street from the delivery address.

“They took the pizzas and left; ... they were on the ground. We presume they ate the pizzas,” Metts said.

Detectives seeking an explanation for the robbery attempt are looking into the possibility that it might have been a gang initiation, Metts said.

Lexington County prosecutor Donnie Myers said he does not plan to review whether Miller acted properly.

The S.C. Attorney General’s Office said self-defense for deadly force can be, “kind of complicated.”

The person under attack must act reasonably throughout the incident, said Jennifer Evans, deputy attorney general for prosecutions.

The victim of the attack also must not be doing anything illegal, must try to retreat when possible and must believe he or she is in danger, Evans said.

Miller had run between 115 and 118 feet from where he was confronted before he shot Sturgill, sheriff’s spokesman Maj. John Allard said.

Myers said he agrees that Miller fired legally.

“If you’re bringing a pizza and they’re whipping your butt, you’ve got reason to shoot them,” Myers said."



BTW there are some big differences in how these two articles relate the incident. The above article says that he tried to run away from the attackers. The above article is from the 10th, 2 days later. Would be curious to know which one is more accurate.

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Sonora Rebel wrote:

AWDstylez wrote:

This is, what, the second or third time in the last six months or so? What is Pizza Hut's problem? If their drivers are getting robbed that often maybe they should be REQUIRED to carry, rather than being fired for it.

Click to expand...

The lives of employees (andin-house customers)are secondary to corporate image. Just as the lives of citizens are secondary to political agendas...

The obvious deterrent solution escapes them.

Click to expand...

It doesn't escape them. They know it. But an enabled individual does not suit a politicians desire to control, nor does it suit a corporation's desire to subjugate and abuse.

Spread the suffering until they comply. It seems Pizza hut and Schumer both agree....

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chiefjason wrote:

Miller had run between 115 and 118 feet from where he was confronted before he shot Sturgill, sheriff’s spokesman Maj. John Allard said.

SNIP

BTW there are some big differences in how these two articles relate the incident. The above article says that he tried to run away from the attackers. The above article is from the 10th, 2 days later. Would be curious to know which one is more accurate.

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The OP article and the above both state that the driver attempted to run.

OP article:

Miller says he saw two men run out of some nearby woods towards him, and tried to run away. However, Miller says Sturgill began to punch him.

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Sounds like some bad guys who were really looking for trouble found it. I would like to say that I have an ounce of sympathy for the punks but I can't muster any.

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Its not about corporate image but insurance and liability.

Chances are, the dead robber's parentswill sue Pizza Hut for employing the driver who killed thier son and the employee was working at the time.

They may win the case or Pizza Hut (or their insurance carrier) may actually settle.

It doesn't have to make sense.

Anyone remember the famous case in Baltimore where an "Elderly man guns down two teens" in 1980?

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20076576,00.html

That was my uncle Roman. It took months for the real truth to come out and even when he was found not guilty and people learned of the terror they lived under, he and Aunt Genny had to go into hiding.

The real story doesn't end with the trial. They had to go into hinding but they were found. The story goes that the mother of the boy killed put a contract out on them. One night a large black man broke in and beat my aunt nearly to death. REALLY nearly to death. Uncle Roman was asleep upstairs and didn't know she was lying beaten downstairs until moring. Nothing was stolen or taken. It was a professional job. The story goes further that aunt Genny's brother-in-law, Uncle Mitch was so enraged, he called a few people and the mother has never been seen from again. That finally put a stop to the reign of terror they faced.

-CharlesC

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I only wonder why he didn't shoot all of them?

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Beckham and Dates are being held at the Lexington County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing Monday morning on charges of robbery and criminal conspiracy.

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What ever happened to the assumption that if someone dies during the commission of a felony, all the perps get charged with murder?
Was that ever a "law" or just policy of some DAs?

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flintlock tom wrote:

Beckham and Dates are being held at the Lexington County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing Monday morning on charges of robbery and criminal conspiracy.

Click to expand...

What ever happened to the assumption that if someone dies during the commission of a felony, all the perps get charged with murder?
Was that ever a "law" or just policy of some DAs?

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Depends on the state, and whether the DA wants to charge them. Honestly he'll probably just plea bargain them a couple years for the robbery, they'll be out in no time, maybe wait a bit to recover their nerves, then go right back to robbing people.

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Honestly, I don't think you'll find a pizza delivery company anywhere that wouldn't fire an employee for carrying (well, maybe some local mom and pop place, but no national chains). As noted above, it most likely has more to do with insurance and liability than anything else.

If you're going to stop eating Pizza Hut, it's only proper that you find out the official corporate policy of ANY pizza restaurant before ordering in. Or better yet, just stop eating pizza. It's really bad for you, anyways.