The ink is hardly dry on Target's "request" that customers not carry firearms in their stores when they took another unconscionable action: they apparently fired an employee for ... doing his job.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/target-security-officer-fired-after-reportingshoplifting/2014/07/10/f3d6f606-0854-11e4-bbf1-cc51275e7f8f_story.html?tid=pm_local_popMy guess is that the store manager is a friend of the [alleged] shoplifter. I've seen it before -- a couple of years ago I sat in the Subway sandwich area of a Wal-Mart and watched a mother (typical, morbidly obese "People of Wal-Mart" type) set her young son (maybe 5 or 6 years old) up for a slip-fall incident in front of the soda machine. Someone called 9-1-1, and EMS arrived within a couple of minutes. The mother refused to allow EMS to examine her son, then immediately started making noises about suing.
When the store manager arrived, she was on a first name basis with the mother. After the furor had died down, I went to the courtesy desk and asked to speak with the manager. I told her I had seen the entire incident, that I was certain it had been done intentionally, and that I was willing to sign a statement. The manager told me that "wasn't necessary." My sense then (and I haven't changed my opinion since) was that the manager was going to pass the claim on and recommend paying the woman off. It irritated me because I expected that the blame was going to come down on the young lady behind the Subway counter, and she did nothing wrong. In fact, the first time the kid slipped (but didn't fall down) she mopped up the floor and put out a "CAUTION - WET FLOOR" sign. Nonetheless, Mom sent the kid back to the machine and had him try skating on the wet floor.
So it would not surprise me to find that a target manager was throwing an employee under the bus to protect a friend. No charges have been filed probably because the store manager has declined to press charges -- which I sustect is not in accordance with Target's corporate policy.
