Circle K Clerk Fired for Using Gun to Thwart Robbery

On the morning of November 2nd, Circle K clerk and acting manager Johnny Jarriel Jr. used a concealed carry handgun to defend customers and thwart a robbery at his store. Immediately afterward he was fired for “possession/use of a weapon on company property.”

This Circle K is located in Douglasville, Georgia. Having worked as a clerk for three years, Jarriel decided to carry his gun for protection after an increase in area robberies.

According to Jarriel as reported in the Douglas County Sentinel, it was 9:05 a.m. when “a glassy-eyed man talking crazy” entered the store. Emptying a can of pepper spray in Jarriel’s eyes, the robber threatened to kill him and everyone in the store. He then put a silver automatic weapon against Jarriel’s head while making demands for money.

Jarriel told the robber they needed to walk to the front of the store to get the money. When the robber turned to walk toward the cash register, Jarriel pulled his own gun and fired at the robber. “Everything was blurry because I still had pepper spray in my eyes,” said Jarriel. “That’s when he panicked and ran out of the store.”

Jarriel was uncompromising in defending his choice. “All I did was try to save my life and the lives of the three other people in the store,” he said. According to him, he did all he could do in that situation, and even if it meant losing his job, he would do it the same way again.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.