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A Tennessee woman claims she was shot seven times by a Walgreens employee who accused her of shoplifting.
According to Fox Business, Travonsha Ferguson filed a lawsuit against Walgreens earlier this month after an employee allegedly shot her in the store's parking lot while she was seven months pregnant.
The employee, identified as Mitarius Boyd, believed that Ferguson or her friend “was attempting to shoplift Walgreens merchandise from the store" in April 2023, according to court filings obtained by Fox. Police said another employee had notified Boyd that two women were shoplifting from the Nashville store.
Boyd said he saw the women putting store items into a large bag, and he followed them into the parking lot after they allegedly left without paying.
According to the lawsuit, Boyd “never identified himself as an employee, and aggressively confronted” the pair over the alleged shoplifting “while cursing and screaming.” Ferguson said she sprayed Boyd with mace “in fear of imminent bodily harm to baby Ferguson and herself,” per the suit.
Boyd then allegedly shot Ferguson “up to seven times, which resulted in serious bodily harm." The employee admitted to the shooting, noting that he didn't know if the women were armed.
Ferguson was later taken to the hospital where she had to undergo an emergency C-section. Her baby “fought for his life for weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit” and “is at an increased risk of long-term intellectual and developmental disabilities,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit further states that Ferguson “sustained internal and/or intestinal injuries and, as a medical necessity, must now wear a colostomy bag to survive."
In a statement to Fox, Ferguson’s lawyer, L. Chris Stewart, said his client's baby was delivered prematurely and “suffered a life-altering heart defect that will also require ongoing care" due to the shooting.
Boyd cooperated with police and was later fired for violating Walgreens policies.
“We intend to hold Walgreens accountable for the egregious actions of their employee who was a team leader at that location,” Stewart said in a statement. “Following someone to the parking lot and shooting them seven times for allegedly shoplifting is outrageous conduct that cannot be tolerated by corporations around the country.”
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