Lowe's rehires woman who was assaulted, suffered black eye while trying to stop alleged shoplifters
Donna Hansbrough sustained a black eye after being punched in the face while trying to stop the alleged thieves
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A Georgia woman who was sacked from her Lowe's home improvement store job after trying to stop shoplifters making off with more than $2,000 in merchandise, leaving her with a black eye, has been rehired by the company.
Donna Hansbrough, 68, was offered her job back after being fired following the June 25 incident, the company said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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Donna Hansbrough, 68, was left with a black eye and fired after trying to stop three shoplifters from a Lowe's store in Georgia, police said. The company offered Hansbrough her job back, which she accepted, Lowe's said Monday. (Rincon Police Department / Fox News)
"After senior management became aware of the incident and spoke to Donna Hansbrough today, we are reinstating her job and we are pleased that she has accepted the offer to return to Lowe’s," the statement said. "First and foremost, there’s nothing more important than the safety of our customers and associates. Products can be replaced; people cannot."
Hansbrough, who worked for Lowe's for 13 years, spotted three people leaving the store in Rincon, about 30 minutes north of Savannah, and then leave without bothering to pay, police said.
She grabbed the cart being handled by Takyah Berry, who punched her in the face at least three times, causing a black eye, police said.
"They say that if you see somebody stealing something out the door, not to pursue, not to go out. I lost it," Hansbrough told the Effingham Herald. "I grabbed the cart. I don’t actually remember going out but I did. And I grabbed the cart that had the stolen items."
Two other suspects were identified as Jarmar Lawton and Joseph Berry, uncle of Takyah Berry. Joseph Berry and Takyah Berry remained at-large as of last week.
Joseph Berry, Jarmar Lawton and Takyah Berry allegedly stole more than $2,000 worth of items from a Georgia Lowe's store that left one employee with a black eye, police said. (Rincon Police Department / Fox News)
Lowe's initially fired Hansbrough, saying she violated the company's policy that forbids employees from trying to stop thieves as a safety precaution.
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"I didn’t expect to get terminated,’ she told the newspaper. "Maybe a reprimand or a suspension. I just got tired of seeing things get out the door. I just, I lost it. I basically lost all the training. Everything they tell you to do, I just…I just lost it."