Stephanie Dilyard, a former 7-Eleven night clerk in Tulsa, was fired after shooting a man who, she says, tried to strangle her when she refused to accept a counterfeit $100 bill.
According to KTUL, the ordeal began just before midnight on a Thursday when the suspect, later identified as 59-year-old Kenneth Thompson, threatened her life. “He threatened me … said he was gonna slice my head off,” Dilyard told reporters. When he grabbed her around the neck and pushed her out from behind the counter, she pulled out her firearm and shot him.
Thompson then fled, called 911, and was later arrested when seeking treatment at a hospital.
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Who is Stephanie Dilyard?
Dilyard had worked alone at the 7-Eleven from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. for over two years, according to her own account to KTUL.
She told the media she still bears a scratch around her neck and burns on her finger from shooting the gun.
{{/usCountry}}She told the media she still bears a scratch around her neck and burns on her finger from shooting the gun.
{{/usCountry}}She told the reporters that she was faced with a choice to protect her life or to protect her job. “I felt like I was put into a corner between choosing between my job and my life….and I'm always going to choose my life….because there are people that depend on me,” she said.
Dilyard also expressed that she hopes her experience will serve as a warning. “I hope that women see that … you have a right to defend yourself.”
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7-Eleven fired Dilyard over ownership of a gun
On Monday, 7-Eleven allegedly fired her for using her own firearm. “They said that they were going to separate from employment because of a violation of policy,” Dilyard said.
Legally, she is protected under Oklahoma's self-defense laws. On the corporate end, there have been difficult questions about policies on weapon ownership and employee protection during after-hours staffing.
7-Eleven has not publicly clarified what specific policy she violated, and at the time of the report, had not responded to requests for comment to KTUL.