I was already boycotting Pizza Hut because their pizza sucks.

Dominos pulled the same thing here in St. Louis. But honestly, shouldn't you be boycotting the store owned by the idiot who thinks that staying alive means you should be fired, not those owned by people who haven't done anything wrong?

Would Pizza Hut prefer their employees to be shot by would-be muggers?

@Whitey Fisk: oh god. The very first comment is one of those lame "if it's not a hole in the wall it sucks" types. Can't you people wait until a dozen or so!!?

Is it ok for companies to maintain policies that are in direct contravention with an individual's constitutional rights?

Didn't that guy in the picture used to be a cop on "Law and Order"?

Who knew Iowa was so gangsta?

I'm all for the boycott. Someone make some t-shirts.

@Whitey Fisk: Yes.

I HATE Consumerist by always using misleading headlines.

The driver WAS NOT fired for shooting an armed robber.

The driver WAS fired for not following policy, which it is against policy for the driver to carry a gun.

If a company had a policy that they did not want to make money, and you went out of made the company money - even though the policy may be stupid, you can get fired for not following the policy.

This person did not follow Pizza Hut's policy, and was fired because of it. Simple as that. All that other crap about shooting an armed robber has nothing to do with why he was fired.

@Whitey Fisk: In MO, you can bar handguns on your property but on public property or places without posted signs, if you have a permit, you can carry.

The problem I see is, what if you're in a store that bars guns, and a crook starts shooting and your gun is in the car?

You're dead even though that guy shouldn't have had a gun.

@coan_net: Uh, yes it is about that. Do you walk up to people and ask if they have a gun? Unless you're a cop I bet you don't. This wouldn't have been an issue if he hadn't had to draw and fire his weapon.

Suspend him, give the man a fine, but don't fire him!

He violated company policy, OK, we get it...

...what is it that these MOFOS need to understand his life was being threatened?

@Whitey Fisk: Go up to your boss, tell him/her he/she's a piece of s--t, and see what happens when you try to invoke the first amendment.

@Whitey Fisk: Yes. If they don't want you to carry a weapon and you want to pack heat, then they don't have to keep you as an employee.

Personally, I would rather not have coworkers toting guns around. Remember when postal workers had a high mortality rate due to the instability of their peers?

@coan_net: Okay. You're right. We shouldn't boycott Pizza Hut for firing the guy, because the guy was in violation of company policy.

Let's boycott Pizza Hut for making it company policy that delivery drivers can't lawfully carry a weapon.

@coan_net:

They can say whatever they want for firing him. He protected himself, and Pizza Hut fired him. They could've just as easily given him a warning, but no, they fired him.

Certain things trump policy, such as life and death situations. This was one of them. Sometimes a company has to say "stick it" to policy and do the humane thing....otherwise we get repeats of that story about Burger King a few months ago. Yeah, the one where they forced people to leave their restaurant when the people's houses were in the middle of some catastrophe.

Damn I'm glad I live in Texas.

@ceejeemcbeegee: There are some rough-ish areas in Des Moines and a few of the other cities, but it's all very mild compared to most places. Of course, we can't forget all the rural meth-heads, but they usually have to go to town to get their Pizza Hut

I know this would be expensive for the franchise but I think that when a delivery guy has to work a rough neighborhood that there needs to be another person in the delivery truck for this very reason.

Sending the Pizza guy in to "gang" territory SOLO is not a good idea.

@fordpickup: Or wait...maybe that IS a good reason to carry a gun.

Regardless, guns in the workplace are probably not a good idea...unless you work at a shooting range.

@Buran: But, it was funny. That's all I ask, if the comment is not going to be informative, at least be funny.

Wow, this is going to be an interesting debate. Understanding that pizza delivery is a dangerous occupation in some areas, I'm still not sure I want my delivery guy to be packing heat. I understand Pizza Hut's position in not wanting to take on the liability of all their delivery drivers gun handling skills. If they gave this guy a free pass in violating company policy, they'd be setting themselves up for a lawsuit. Could you imagine the backlash against Pizza Hut when (because it will happen) a delivery guy or gal mistakes a kid or legit customer for a bad guy and shoots him? Trained, veteran police officers have made this mistake, so it is only a matter of time until a delivery guy does. PH is stuck in a bad spot, but they probably figure it is cheaper to pay this guy off with a few thousand, then to pay the multiple millions when a delivery guy shoots someone accidentally or mistakenly. The delivery guy broke the company policy, endangered his co-workers, himself, and his customers, and he got fired. What PH is offering him during his transition is more than they have to offer him.

@Whitey Fisk:
Of course its ok. I have the freedoms of speech, press, religion, and assembly, but I am not free (without consequence) to say whatever I want, print whatever I want, worship however I want, and gather with tons of folks while at work.

"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."

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Looks like this is clearly a liability aspect. If Pizza Hut doesn't want to ever be potentially held liable for something one of their employees does while on the clock, they need to state certain behaviors are off limits. In this case, carrying a weapon, even if legally obtained. Otherwise, Pizza Hut needs to formally train their drivers how to use the firearms, etc etc. It sucks, but its a litigious world out there!

(On a side note, if they do start training their drivers to shoot, hopefully they'll be able to drop a guy for good if he can get in THREE SHOTS!!!)

I aggree with the people who think that a warning would have been sufficient. I'm sure there's a company policy about acts of violence while on duty, but sometimes, like ya know, when you're life is at risk, you may have to break that policy.

I dont own a gun but if I wanted to harm someone I could just as easily pick up something and do the job. Many a co-worker have almost eaten my stapler.

When I delivered pizza for Dominoes I got caught up in a drug robbery. The person who lived in the apartment and ordered was apparently a severe drug addict or dealer. I arrived and someone jumped out of the bushes and shoved me inside the apartment as soon as the caller/resident opened the door. The robber slammed us both face down to the ground, handcuffed the caller, tied my hands. I raised my head just to smidge to turn it and got a crack to the back of the head with his gun. We were held hostage for about 2 hours before the police arrived. Awful. That whole complex was banned from further delivery after that. I really don't know how a gun would have made it any better in my case since I was ambushed with both hands holding a pizza and soda. This was a big tool for a while to use delivery people as a means to gain entry into people's homes. The homeowner would open the door shocked to see a delivery person, then get invaded by a criminal waiting to ambush both the driver and the homeowner.
OK, my longest comment ever, but maybe it'll serve as a warning to consumers.

Go pizza hut. Your pizza sucks but your policy rocks. I don't want some bum delivering my pizza to be hiding a gun. And if he had a gun to his head how did he manage to grab his concealed gun and shoot the "bad guy", without getting shot. Everyone would have been a lot safer to have just handed over the money and left the shooting people to the cops.

@coan_net: The driver WAS fired for not following policy, which it is against policy for the driver to carry a gun.

Fine. I'll boycott Pizza Hut for having a stupid policy then (as well as crappy pizza).

Pizza delivery guys often have to deliver to some shady neighborhoods. Case in point: this guy had a would-be robber POINT A GUN AT HIS HEAD.

They should either write off the neighborhood and forgo the business or let their drivers protect themselves.

@TWinter: Meth-heads don't eat.

@fordpickup: Exactly. If policy states you can't carry a concealed weapon but you still want to carry, find another job.

bad policy. as a former papa johns delivery man i think drivers should be required to carry a gun and i believe the restaurant should provide it. when you drive down a street and have beer bottles thrown at your car and "gangstas" chasing you, sure you could just quit, but i need money.

@ThomFabian: Are you free to quarter soldiers in your cubicle?

@BalknChain: This was a big tool for a while to use delivery people as a means to gain entry into people's homes. The homeowner would open the door shocked to see a delivery person, then get invaded by a criminal waiting to ambush both the driver and the homeowner.

Maybe it wouldn't have been such a popular tactic if the criminal couldn't be sure that the delivery person wouldn't fight back effectively.

On the other hand, criminals aren't generally known for their superior thought processes and rational thinking.

@Whitey Fisk: Remember that the Constitution of the United States only applies to what the government can and can not do, not a private entity.

@xint: Something tells me that this guy would continue to carry the weapon anyways, citing what happened as the reason for carrying it. Then what? Do you keep suspending him everyday he shows up with it? Eventually you'd have to fire the dude. What if on his next shift, his gun accidentally discharges and he kills a kid? Now PH is on the hook. I see no other way out for PH in this. Give him a few months' salary, get him some job counseling, and wish him luck in his future endeavors, but it is not PH's responsibility to continue to employ this guy if he poses to big a liability for them.

That policy of having no guns is plain retarded. I'd see if he was someone that worked behind a counter where they're a bit more "safe", but this guy has to drive all over the city/town and has no protection when walking up to unknown houses and apartments, or just in the street in general.

Its amazing how people here quickly change their tune about corporate policies from "that's not right" to simply saying "if you don't like it, don't do business with them".

Pizza Hut is free to have all the policies in the world, but when they fire someone for defending himself in a quite realistically life-or-death situation, it is going to look very bad for Pizza Hut and you damn well bet some of us will speak up.

@fostina1: So it's your choice to endanger your life in exchange for wages and tips. I'm sure there are plenty of jobs out there that will pay a pizza delivery man's wages.

The right to defend yourself trumps company policy every time for a dangerous job like that.

And their pizza is really, really horrible.

@Corydon: Well, you gotta be careful about writing off a neighborhood and denying delivery service to that area. Then PH would be setting themselves up for a discrimination lawsuit. Damn our overly-litigious society. This is really a tough one for PH.

@FightOnTrojans: Condom man, This guy did society a favor, he should get a medal for shooting that guy. Maybe next time an armed robber will THINK TWICE before he tries to rob a pizza delivery person. Oh shit, I forgot, the Pizza Hut delivery people are fair game since they are forbiden from carrying guns.

Hey all you criminals, it's open season for Pizza Hut Delivery people...

Condom man your a dumb ass, go vote for Obama.

I agree with most here. He did violate a company policy and should be willing to suffer the consequences. When I worked for Papa Johns in college, we weren't allowed to carry guns, but about half of us did. The management didn't ask any questions but indicated that we would be punished if caught. While I don't agree with the rule, it is up to the employer whether to have that rule or not. I agree with @Sarge1985 on this.

Even at my current job (in Texas) we are not allowed to carry on the premises, period. I don't even think that we can keep our guns in our cars in the parking lot, but I am not sure.

As far as the delivery driver, do I think he made a good decision to open fire? Damn right I do! The thug had it coming, and one's life is more important than one's job. Nice shooting, James Spiers!

OR, we could just not have guns? Or many no automatic weapons? Or maybe just muzzle-loaders.

Wow! Where did all these conservatives come from, especially here on Consumerist! What a pleasant change!

I think both the driver and Pizza Hut agree on the whole situation. Pizza Hut cannot have employees driving around with guns (completely understandable) for liability reasons. The driver is not suing for wrongful termination. Pizza Hut basically has their hands tied and are offering this guy everything they can. I definitely will order from Pizza Hut again. I think the media is blowing this out of proportion

What this story does is provide a nice tip to muggers.

"Pizza Hut delivery employees are not permitted to carry guns, so feel free to target them.

Love,
Pizza Hut Executives Working in Buildings that hire Security Firms whose Guard aer Armed to Protect Themselves From You."