Walgreens worker followed pregnant woman to parking lot, shot her 7 times, lawsuit says
A pregnant woman was shot seven times by a Walgreens employee who accused her of shoplifting, and needed an emergency C-section while in critical condition, according to a new lawsuit.
Travonsha Ferguson’s baby survived but was born prematurely with a heart defect on April 12, a complaint filed in Davidson County, Tennessee, on March 27 says.
Her son spent a week fighting for his life in a neonatal intensive care unit, according to the complaint, and had a device implanted to fix his heart defect.
Nearly a year later, Ferguson, 25, is suing Walgreens and the employee she says left her with permanent injuries.
“Travonsha Ferguson will never fully recover from this shooting and has long-term health issues that she is forced to deal with everyday,” L. Chris Stewart, one of her attorneys, said in a statement provided to McClatchy News.
Walgreens spokeswoman Jennifer Cotto told McClatchy News the employee no longer works for the company and declined to comment on the lawsuit on March 28.
On April 12, the employee followed Ferguson, who was seven months pregnant, and her friend out of a Nashville Walgreens and to the parking lot, where he “aggressively” accused the pair of shoplifting, according to the complaint.
The 21-year-old worker told police he saw the women stealing inside the store, began filming them and followed the pair to their car while armed, McClatchy News previously reported.
He said one of the women sprayed him with a can of mace, then he pulled out his gun and started shooting out of “fear,” claiming “self defense,” according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
Ferguson sprayed the employee with mace, her lawsuit says, because she feared “imminent bodily harm” to her unborn son and herself.
When the worker approached Ferguson and her friend, he was “cursing and screaming at them” and got close to the trunk of their car, according to the complaint.
As he opened fire, seven shots struck Ferguson, including one that hit her by her stomach, a news release issued by Ferguson’s legal counsel said.
‘We intend to hold Walgreens accountable’
According to police, Ferguson’s friend took her to the hospital.
Authorities seized the employee’s semi-automatic pistol, and he “cooperated with detectives,” they said.
Ultimately, he was never charged in connection with the shooting, the Tennessean reported.
However, Ferguson was charged with assault and theft of $1,000 or less, court records show.
The criminal case is listed as closed. Stewart declined to comment on the charges.
“We intend to hold Walgreens accountable for the egregious actions of their employee who was a team leader at that location,” Stewart said in his statement.
The lawsuit accuses Walgreens of negligent hiring, training, retention or supervision.
The company failed to train its employee on “the impropriety of physically assaulting, battering and/or shooting customers” and how to respond to suspected shoplifting, the complaint says.
Walgreens has a “no chase” policy when customers are suspected of stealing, according to the complaint.
When asked about the policy by McClatchy News, Walgreens didn’t confirm or comment on it.
Ferguson now needs to wear a colostomy bag after the shooting caused internal and intestinal injuries, the complaint says.
“Right now my daughter is suffering,” Ferguson’s mother said at a news conference, WKRN reported.
Since Ferguson’s son was born prematurely, he “is at an increased risk of long-term intellectual and developmental disabilities,” according to the complaint.
Ferguson is requesting a 12-person jury trial and seeks an unspecified amount of damages, the complaint shows.
“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,” Stewart said.
This story was originally published March 28, 2024 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Walgreens worker followed pregnant woman to parking lot, shot her 7 times, lawsuit says."
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