A Walgreens clerk shot a lady in Nashville on Wednesday night, leaving her in severe condition and requiring an emergency C-section to deliver her premature baby, according to a press release from the police on Thursday.
A Walgreens clerk shot a lady in Nashville on Wednesday night, leaving her in severe condition and requiring an emergency C-section to deliver her premature baby, according to a press release from the police on Thursday.
The Walgreens employee, Mitarius Boyd, 21, told the police that he saw two people stealing goods from the store: a pregnant woman and a third person he believed to be an accomplice. One of them maced him when he challenged them in the parking lot.
Boyd claimed that he took out his semi-automatic gun and began shooting. He claimed he acted in self-defense because he was afraid and didn't know if the two were armed. Metro Nashville, Police homicide detectives are looking into the shooting and the self-defense allegation.
The Nashville District Attorney's office will decide whether Boyd will be charged for the shooting after the investigation is complete, according to the police. Boyd, the team leader at the specific Walgreens, was made aware that two women were shoplifting in the establishment by another worker.
Also Read: Updates On Makayla Chang's Killing: Killer Has Been Sentenced To Life In Prison
Boyd reported that the women loaded a sizable over-the-shoulder bag and a shopping cart with goods. He informed the police that he had taken out his phone and recorded the woman leaving the shop without making a purchase.
He pursued her while photographing them as they made their way to a car and started placing the stuff into the trunk. Police in Nashville have not indicated if they have seen the allegedly videotaped events.
Boyd claimed that he entered the back of the vehicle just before eight o'clock local time, where one of the women began mace-spraying him. Boyd argued that after taking out his semi-automatic pistol, he started shooting because he was afraid and unsure about their weapons, according to a news release from the police.
Boyd returned to the shop to make the 911 call as the two women departed in the automobile. Travonsha Ferguson, 24, sustained several gunshot wounds due to the incident, according to the police. Seven months pregnant, she was.
Ferguson was driven to Nashville General Hospital by the other accompanying woman, who then dropped her there before scurrying away. Police are not yet able to identify the other woman.
Ferguson was then driven by ambulance to Vanderbilt University Medical Centre by hospital staff. Ferguson's preterm child was delivered through an emergency C-section. The infant was unharmed by the shooting, although she is in a critical but stable condition, much like the mother.
Boyd has cooperated with investigators throughout the case, but whether he will be charged, is still unknown. Following the event, authorities took his weapons and mobile.
A Nashville police representative told USA Today on Friday that due to Ferguson's poor state, leaders have not spoken with her. However, she is anticipated to recover fully, and her child is "doing OK," he added.
Furthermore, it is unknown if Ferguson will face legal action. The day following the incident, Walgreens released the statement: "Violence of any type will not be accepted at our stores. Our top concern is the safety of our customers, patients, and team members. We are assisting the local authorities with this problem since we take it seriously.