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'You're fired,' man hears after saving a woman's life (because he had a gun)

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Interesting story. From this perspective, it seems clear this man is a hero. However, one has to question his previous relationship with his employer. I'd say this is cause for a promotion, but who knows? If he was otherwise a problem employee maybe this was just their reason to let him loose? But without knowing the story, I commend the guy and wish I owned a business to offer him a job!
 
Let's get the story up from the Jacksonville FL paper for folks to read.
'You're fired,' man hears after saving a woman's life

The 24-year-old grabbed a gun before going to help his neighbor who had been shot.


By Jim Schoettler, The Times-Union

When a neighbor screamed she'd been shot, Colin Bruley grabbed his shotgun, found the victim and began treating her bloodied right leg.

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Tonnetta Lee survived Tuesday's pre-dawn shooting at her Jacksonville apartment, and her sister and a neighbor praised Bruley's actions. But his employers, the same people who own the Arlington complex where Bruley lives, reacted differently. They fired him.

Bruley, a leasing agent at the Oaks at Mill Creek, said he lost his job after being told that brandishing the weapon was a workplace violation, as was failing to notify supervisors after the incident occurred. He'd worked at the Monument Road complex since December and for the owner, Village Green Cos., since 2005.

Bruley said he was too shaken to call his supervisor immediately after the incident, which occurred just before 2 a.m., but planned to eventually do so. He also said he was acting as a citizen, not an employee, and shouldn't have been punished for trying to protect himself and others. He never fired the shotgun.

"I was expecting work to give me some kind of commendation," said Bruley, 24. "I was totally blown back. It was a crisis that most people don't go through."

Andrea Roebker, the company's director of public relations, said "We're not in a position to discuss any employment issues outside of [with] the employee.

She declined to comment further, citing confidentiality rules.

A complaint Bruley said was given to him by his supervisor Tuesday said he violated several company policies found in an employee handbook. Those procedures were also explained in a recent meeting and an e-mail, the complaint said. One policy prohibits any type of weapons being used in the workplace. The complaint cited him for "gross misconduct."

"Colin demonstrated extremely poor judgment in responding to this situation," the complaint said. "Colin's failure to immediately report this incident ... could have serious ramifications to the property, its associates and residents."

A police report said the shooting followed a domestic quarrel involving Lee, 24, and her boyfriend. Bruley said he was dozing off in his apartment when he heard Lee's screams. He said he then grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun he uses for protection and hunting.

Bruley said he found the woman bleeding heavily. He handed the shotgun to a neighbor, tied a tourniquet around her right leg and waited for police and rescue to arrive.

"I was kind of in a state of shock. I had blood all over my body," Bruley said.

After emergency officials took Lee to the hospital, Bruley returned to his apartment and tried to settle down, eventually falling asleep. He said he could have called his supervisor but didn't think she could do anything at the time. He said he was called into the office about 9:30 a.m., gave his account and then left. He said he was called back that afternoon and told he was fired.

Neighbor Kevin Courson joined Bruley at the crime scene when he saw Bruley had a gun for protection. Courson said he is incensed by the dismissal.

"Here was a guy trying to do a good deed. He wasn't trying to hurt nobody," said Courson, 31.

Erica Jenkins, Lee's sister, said Bruley should still have a job. Lee couldn't be reached to comment despite several messages left with her sister and mother.

"If it wasn't for him ... she could have lost her leg or died," said Jenkins, 19. "He put his life in jeopardy for someone else."

Bruley said he is considering contacting a lawyer about his dismissal, but will first look for another job and possibly another home. He promises he won't shy away from aiding others in need.

"If I'd lose my job again for helping some girl's life ... I'd do it over and over," Bruley said.

[email protected], (904) 359-4385
Click to expand...

If the guy wasn't on the clock then he wasn't "at work" to violate company policy.
 
Was he "on-the-job" at the time? All I saw was "pre-dawn". If he was in his own apratment, he was within his rights to have the shotgun. If he was on the job, in the office, then that may well be a different story in terms of policy. We really need to see some more detail.
 
Regardless of the company policy, I think the firing is a cheese-eating-surrender-monkey act. But, that is the right of the employer.
 
If he was in his own apratment, he was within his rights to have the shotgun. If he was on the job, in the office, then that may well be a different story in terms of policy. We really need to see some more detail.
Click to expand...

Heard this on Neal Boortz's radio program. He was in his own apt. as this happened at 2AM.
I went to the "Village Green" website and sent these _______(you fill in the blank) a e-mail explaining exactly what I thought of them.
 
Look at the village green webpage, bottom right corner...

"We Care"

If my neighbor yells out "I've been shot"... I'm not going to pick up a spatula or a mop and go over and see what's going on, I'll take the best tool for the job...

I hope the guy that helped the lady gets himself a very good lawyer...


Sad thing about where I work, if I did similar, and I had any of my work "swag" on while doing so, my employer would probably fire me too...
 
If he was living in an apartment on the premises (perhaps as part of a compensation package,) he may have been considered 'on call' for emergencies.

Either way, whoever made the termination decision is a loser.
 
Yeah, I had to go up to my ex employers warehouse one time to respond to an alarm call.... The Alarm company called me and I said dispatch the police and when there myself to check it out.

If I have the AUTHORITY to get the call from the alarm company, then I have the AUTHORITY to flaunt the policy and bring my gun, which I did.

The dude in the story has a right to own a gun in his own home... Whether or not it is a workplace. He has a duty to come to the aid of people in need as 1.) a member of society 2.) a neighbor 3.) landlord 4.) and employee.

He will sue and win.

In my estimation he had the authority (defacto) to act in the manner he did. There were no complaints from the residents and even if there were, that is covered under the good samaritan law isn't it???
 
He did what he should. Good for him. Furthermore, he is well off to be rid of a pointy-headed employer such as he had. NOBODY needs to work for a place like that.

I wish him well and hope by sundown today he has a job paying at least 2 X what that one did!
 
Also sent an email to the company.

This is pretty ridiculous - one of their employees runs to the aid of a customer, and gets fired. rolleyes.gif
 
Bruley, a leasing agent at the Oaks at Mill Creek,
Click to expand...

I suspect that this means he is an on site agent and his apartment is part of the compensation package. Whether he was "on the clock" would likely be determined by the contract of employment.

If he was restricted from doing what he did as a result of his contract ,then I doubt he has any regress .

Either way, an employer who would restrict a person from helping another in this manner, or fire them for doing so , is not the kind of people I would want to work for , or lease from .
 
How many THR members are there? How many can take five minutes of their time to send an email or place a phone call?

On a somewhat related note, we destroyed Zumbo.
 
Hopefully, someone else will offer the man a job based on this incident. That Village Green place doesn't need a guy like him on staff anyway, so why should he fight for a crummy job?
 
'You're fired,' man hears after saving a woman's life

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/061807/met_178250725.shtml

The Florida Times-Union

June 18, 2007

'You're fired,' man hears after saving a woman's life




By Jim Schoettler,
The Times-Union


When a neighbor screamed she'd been shot, Colin Bruley grabbed his shotgun, found the victim and began treating her bloodied right leg.
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------


Tonnetta Lee survived Tuesday's pre-dawn shooting at her Jacksonville apartment, and her sister and a neighbor praised Bruley's actions. But his employers, the same people who own the Arlington complex where Bruley lives, reacted differently. They fired him.

Bruley, a leasing agent at the Oaks at Mill Creek, said he lost his job after being told that brandishing the weapon was a workplace violation, as was failing to notify supervisors after the incident occurred. He'd worked at the Monument Road complex since December and for the owner, Village Green Cos., since 2005.

Bruley said he was too shaken to call his supervisor immediately after the incident, which occurred just before 2 a.m., but planned to eventually do so. He also said he was acting as a citizen, not an employee, and shouldn't have been punished for trying to protect himself and others. He never fired the shotgun.

"I was expecting work to give me some kind of commendation," said Bruley, 24. "I was totally blown back. It was a crisis that most people don't go through."

Andrea Roebker, the company's director of public relations, said "We're not in a position to discuss any employment issues outside of [with] the employee.

She declined to comment further, citing confidentiality rules.

A complaint Bruley said was given to him by his supervisor Tuesday said he violated several company policies found in an employee handbook. Those procedures were also explained in a recent meeting and an e-mail, the complaint said. One policy prohibits any type of weapons being used in the workplace. The complaint cited him for "gross misconduct."

"Colin demonstrated extremely poor judgment in responding to this situation," the complaint said. "Colin's failure to immediately report this incident ... could have serious ramifications to the property, its associates and residents."

A police report said the shooting followed a domestic quarrel involving Lee, 24, and her boyfriend. Bruley said he was dozing off in his apartment when he heard Lee's screams. He said he then grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun he uses for protection and hunting.

Bruley said he found the woman bleeding heavily. He handed the shotgun to a neighbor, tied a tourniquet around her right leg and waited for police and rescue to arrive.

"I was kind of in a state of shock. I had blood all over my body," Bruley said.

After emergency officials took Lee to the hospital, Bruley returned to his apartment and tried to settle down, eventually falling asleep. He said he could have called his supervisor but didn't think she could do anything at the time. He said he was called into the office about 9:30 a.m., gave his account and then left. He said he was called back that afternoon and told he was fired.

Neighbor Kevin Courson joined Bruley at the crime scene when he saw Bruley had a gun for protection. Courson said he is incensed by the dismissal.

"Here was a guy trying to do a good deed. He wasn't trying to hurt nobody," said Courson, 31.

Erica Jenkins, Lee's sister, said Bruley should still have a job. Lee couldn't be reached to comment despite several messages left with her sister and mother.

"If it wasn't for him ... she could have lost her leg or died," said Jenkins, 19. "He put his life in jeopardy for someone else."

Bruley said he is considering contacting a lawyer about his dismissal, but will first look for another job and possibly another home. He promises he won't shy away from aiding others in need.

"If I'd lose my job again for helping some girl's life ... I'd do it over and over," Bruley said.

[email protected], (904) 359-4385


More crime and public safety coverage Homicide 360: A Times-Union special reportcms_sidebox()
 
:confused:
And if your annual salary is over 100K per year and your field of work is very narrow, where the same job for the same pay is very hard to find.... :cuss:

Yet another example where doing the right thing gets the Good Samaritan and his family screwed! Not to sound cold, but, think twice before injecting yourself into a situation where calling 911 from the safety of your home is the best solution. :(
 
This cuts both ways.

If the employee is in violation of company policy for being armed, THEN, the woman can sue the company for prohibiting behavior which MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED HER FROM BEING HURT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

If I was him, this would be one of those cases where I took reasonable steps to protect my life in a violent situation, and if it cost me the job, so be it.
 
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