A 7-Eleven clerk in Oklahoma City defended herself after a customer attempted to strangle her during a late-night shift. The woman had confronted the man over a counterfeit $100 bill; when the man became aggressive, he grabbed her by the neck, tossing merchandise and escalating the assault. Amid the attack, she drew her personal firearm and shot him, an action later cleared under Oklahoma’s self-defense laws. The suspect remains in custody on charges including assault and battery, counterfeiting, and parole violation.
Despite being legally justified, the clerk was terminated by 7-Eleven for violating company policy by bringing a personal weapon to work. She described her decision as a choice between life and job security, noting she’d always choose to go home to her children. The incident has sparked debate about employee safety, corporate responsibility for protecting overnight workers, and whether policies around weapon use ought to be revisited.