Former Walmart Employee Says He Was Fired After Shoplifting Incident

In Colorado, a 68-year-old former Walmart employee says he was fired after trying to stop a shoplifting incident and getting stabbed in the arm.

At a Glance

John Zalesky, 68, alleges he was stabbed while trying to stop a shoplifting suspect at a Walmart in Arapahoe County, Colorado.
Zalesky was subsequently terminated from his position.
He has raised over $1,000 on GoFundMe to cover his expenses.
The incident raises discussion about retail theft and employee safety policies.

Incident Details and Aftermath

An altercation allegedly occurred on August 11 outside a Walmart store in Arapahoe County, Colorado, when John Zalesky, a 68-year-old Walmart employee, attempted to recover what he suspected were stolen goods from a customer. Zalesky says he followed the suspect outside the store to retrieve her purse, believing it contained stolen items.

Zalesky alleges he was stabbed in the forearm by a man standing near the suspect’s car. According to Zalesky, the assailant attempted to stab him again before fleeing the scene with the suspect.

Zalesky said that a week after the incident, Walmart terminated his employment. The man expressed his disappointment, writing on his GoFundMe page, “Walmart fired me and never thought they would treat me like this after protecting their store.”

Walmart employee says he was stabbed by alleged shoplifter and then fired. Read more about the incident in the story link below.https://t.co/U5rSGvGKs8

— fox8news (@fox8news) August 23, 2024

Broader Discussion on Employee Safety

Employees getting fired for following or pursuing shoplifting suspects is not unheard of. In 2023, news outlets reported that an employee at King Soopers, Santino Burrola, was terminated from his position after he went outside to record a theft in progress and posted the video online. Lowe’s, which has a no-contact policy for shoplifting incidents, also fired and then later rehired employee Donna Hansbrough after she pursued three suspects outside the store and got physically assaulted. Hansborough explained to local reporters that while she was aware of the store’s policy, she lost her cool after years of watching people steal things with no intervention.

These types of policies have been known to draw controversy, with Hansborough’s firing earning significant online backlash. However, according to The Washington Times, Dallas lawyer Jason Friedman noted that employers would prefer to “take a loss on $500 in goods” rather than “eat what it costs to pay a medical bill, get sued or replace an employee.”

Zalesky, who has since raised over $1,000 on his GoFundMe page, said, “I was born in an era that you just don’t do what these people are doing. When is enough enough?” He also expressed that he didn’t regret his decision, saying, “If I had the chance, I’d probably do it again.”