(PatriotPostNews.com) – A young woman has filed a lawsuit against the chain pharmacy Walgreens a year after she was shot by an employee who confronted her about shoplifting.
25-year-old Trayonsha Ferguson of Nashville, Tennessee, was shot by an employee in April 2023, when he confronted her and another woman suspected of shoplifting cosmetic products. After being struck seven times by the employee, who said he acted in self-defense, the shooting led her to an emergency C-section, as she was 27 weeks pregnant at the time. Her baby survived but was born with a heart defect.
The lawsuit alleges that Walgreens engaged in negligence and faulty safety protocols for not having adequate security policies in place. L. Chris Stewart, who is representing Ferguson in the case, said in a recent press conference that the employee should not have felt the need to follow the suspects and definitely should not have shot Ferguson.
The attorney also pointed out that the employee violated the business’ “no chase” policy and called out Walgreens for permitting him to use his own gun against the women, even if they were suspected of shoplifting.
Ferguson’s legal action is prompted by the ongoing medical issues for both the mother and her child. Ferguson herself suffered injuries to her intestines, requiring her to use a colostomy bag. Her premature baby—11-month-old Raheem—has a heart defect that needs an installed device to be treated. The infant also faces greater risk of intellectual and developmental disabilities, the lawsuit states.
According to an April 13, 2023, press release from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, 21-year-old Mitarius Boyd, a Walgreens team leader, was the employee who shot Ferguson last year. Preliminary investigations revealed at the time that a fellow employee told him about two women shoplifting from the store.
Boyd reportedly observed this himself and started recording them on his own phone, following them as they left the store without paying for the products they put into a bag. Approaching the women as they packed the items in their car, Boyd reported that one of the women began spraying mace at him. At this point, the employee started shooting his semi-automatic pistol in self-defense.
Boyd was later fired from Walgreens for policy violations but was not indicted on criminal charges.
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