Pizza Hut delivers pink slip to employee held at gunpoint

A Republican state lawmaker called on Iowans Friday to boycott Pizza Hut restaurants after the company fired a Des Moines delivery driver who shot an armed robber last month.
"You tell me any Iowan that was in his situation, that had a gun put to his head, how they would've reacted differently," state Sen. Brad Zaun of Urbandale said. "I think it's the wrong decision by Pizza Hut and I will not be buying any more Pizza Hut products."
James William Spiers III, 38, fired multiple shots at a man who accosted him March 27 and demanded money at the Sutton Hill Apartments, 2100 S.E. King Ave.
Spiers said Pizza Hut officials asked for his resignation in exchange for at least two months' pay and counseling.
"I was terminated, but they're not going to kick me to the curb," he said Friday. "When they terminated me, I had asked if they could provide me with counseling. That's all I asked for."

www.kcci.com...

There should be a nationwide boycott against Pizza Hut. Pizza Hunt should be ashamed for firing this kid who was only trying to protect himself. This shows how much Pizza Hut care about their employees. So let us show Pizza Hut how long your *$%&*& pizza, pasta chain would last without your customers. Especially during this recession the boycott will be even felt stronger.

[edit on 23-4-2008 by Master_Wii]

/signed

I agree, if a company terminates an employee for defending themselves from armed agression while they are on the clock, that company seriously needs to rethink their legal position. Screw Pizza Hut.

The link no worky.....

But why did he ask for counseling? Does he believe he has a problem? If so, maybe he knows best.

Did he have a gun permit? Also lets say you work at an office building in Iowa, can you carry a gun inside even if you have a permit? I'm sure its not the same working at an office building and deliviring pizzas on the street, just wondering if there are laws that prohibit this in Iowa. I mean even if your out on the street you are essentially at work.

I also wonder if Pizza Hut has policies regarding firearms. Do they prohibit their delivery boys from carrying them while they work.

In any case, if youre carrying a gun with a permit and someones trys to rob you at gunpoint its better if you defend youreself accordingly. One can never be sure what these scumbags are thinking while they are robbing you or if they are on drugs. Whats not to say they will shoot you even if you give them the money, it has been known to happen. Pizza Hut should have taken all of this into consideration befor firing him. But in the end its all about the money I guess. Pizza Hut has to save face and assure the public that the delivery boys are'nt carrying guns when they bring us our pizzas.

It does seem stupid to punish the victim for defending himself however.

Wouldn't it have been more prudent though to just give the robber all the money ... and a free Hawaiian ?

Better that than getting ones brains blown out.

I've already written to the management of local Pizza Huts and told them I am upset about this and that they wouldn't be getting any of my business until they reversed their policies.

How can anyone be expected to make deliveries in some of these neighborhoods unarmed? I always figured every deliver person was armed as a matter of course until here in New Haven we had a rash of delivery guys getting beaten and robbed.

I sure as hell wouldn't be walking up to a strange building at 1AM in a crappy neighborhood unarmed. Only a moron or suicidal would.

There is a reason they did this, this might mean that this employee went to work armed. In a robery many companies want you to just give up the money, it's not worth it to them for you to get hurt defending them. So basically this guy defending himself may have been killed in the process.

I say shoot the robber but hey it's corporate policy that he violated not the fact that he defended himself.

@ thisguyrighthere

Iguess youre right. There has been two mureders in my neighborhood two weeks in a roll. Kinda sucks to get held up at gunpoint for a measly 7 bucks an hour and then get the can for defending yourself. Shame on them.

@ Charity

Prudent yes, but also naive. People will shoot you for looking at them wrong now. Like I said its been known to happen. You can never be too careful.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
I've already written to the management of local Pizza Huts and told them I am upset about this and that they wouldn't be getting any of my business until they reversed their policies.

How can anyone be expected to make deliveries in some of these neighborhoods unarmed? I always figured every deliver person was armed as a matter of course until here in New Haven we had a rash of delivery guys getting beaten and robbed.

I sure as hell wouldn't be walking up to a strange building at 1AM in a crappy neighborhood unarmed. Only a moron or suicidal would.

That's why I feel sorry for pizza delivery guys in the uk, they have nothing to defend themselves, and people like to target them.

I waiting long for a delivery once, and wondered why they took so long.

They phoned me up and said they will redeliver the pizza because some people in a car drove into the pizza man's motorcycle, he fell of, I think he said they then beat him up not sure, then they took his money ( a little change) and the pizza.

I was suprised they were so nice to re-deliver lol!!!



[edit on 23-4-2008 by _Phoenix_]

[edit on 23-4-2008 by _Phoenix_]

Originally posted by _Phoenix_

That's why I feel sorry for pizza delivery guys in the uk, they have nothing to defend themselves, and people like to target them.
[edit on 23-4-2008 by _Phoenix_]

Thats because they dont need to have guns because they know the robbers will not have guns.

Feel sorry for the Guys in the US because they will be much, much more likely to get killed in a gun on gun confrontation than a fist on fist confrontation in the UK.

Originally posted by 3vilscript
I also wonder if Pizza Hut has policies regarding firearms. Do they prohibit their delivery boys from carrying them while they work.

Yes they do. Pizza Hut policy prohibits employees from carrying firearms. The man was fired for carrying a firearm in violation of company policy. Simple as that.

That being said, if I were to take any type of delivery job I would most definitely carry a firearm for protection. To hell with company policy. I'm still going to boycott however (I have no problem with their behaviour, I just cant stand their food.... )

What happens if they were out to not just rob some pizza boy, but to kill someone instead?

for him.

If its company policy to not let the drivers carry guns, Im surprised more arent robbed.

Poor guy, he should have just given over the money and pizza, but maybe he had a feeling they wanted more than that.

I never realized how dangerous a job pizza delivery drivers have. I guess thats why Ive never seen a female delivery person.

I have seen fedex/ups female delivery drivers, but their job is mostly daytime while pizza delivery is mostly nighttime.

Well I wont be eating at pizza hut. they should at least let employees carry tasers.

Admirable for this man to protect the property of his employers.

He could have easily just given up the cash and pizzas, but he chose to defend himself and his employers property instead.

Stupid, but brave nonetheless.

mmm, admirable to protect the money and the pizza. Well I for one delivered pizza for several years while working through college. You know what, every pizza job I worked at, they kept the receipts for the deliveries I took. I was responsible for that cash at the end of the night. I personally kept a bat in my car. I figured if someone showed a gun, give them the stuff. If they were threatening me, thats attempted robbery, and you know what, we always delivered free pizza to the police station. What is not being said is that even if the guy was robbed successfully, he would have been responsible for the cash that he lost that night. Additionally, he would have had to file a police report, which means that his whole night of tips would have been wasted. I personally used to only keep 20 in cash on me, the rest I hid in my car. If someone needed more, I made them write a check. Luckily, I was never robbed.

Cheers,

camin

We've established these facts so far:

1. Spiers HAD a permit to carry a gun.
2. Pizza Hut DOESN'T allow employees to carry arms.
3. Police justified shooting.

My next questions are:

1. For what reasons did Spiers have to justify carrying an armed weapon on him (alot of times)?
2. What kind of an area (very dangerous?) was he delivering to, that would possibly need to justify carrying a weapon?
3. Was he always in fear of his life?

He did request councelling. Hmm...

~Ducky~

[edit on 24-4-2008 by TheDuckster]

Also...I forgot to mention the fact that, if Pizza Hut knew they were sending their employees to deliver to dangerous parts of town, wouldn't Pizza Hut be held liable for putting their employees in harms way?

Just a thought.

~Ducky~

I also heard in the "not so safe neighborhoods ::cough cough the hood:: , Pizza Hut tell customers to come to the curb so the deliver man doesnt have to get out his car.

Seems like those who make company policy and approve it should have to run the delivery routes a few times. This would give then a real sense for what the policy should address. But we know that most likely will never happen.

Remember the days when upper management often was comprised of people who were once workers who moved up through the company.

While I disagree with firing him it does appear that they did provide him with severance pay and counseling both of which he will need. Also the victim doesn't appear to be angry about the firing. Matter of fact we seem to be angrier then he is. He hadn't even decided whether he was going to go back.

Most corporations do have policies prohibiting employees from carrying firearms in the workplace. He did violate company policy and that usually does mean termination of employment.