Variety store chain Dollar General is based in the United States. With regard to regularly needed things like food, snacks, cosmetics, and health and beauty supplies, it aims to provide everyday affordable pricing. Apart from all of this, the company is also very big on employee benefits and a good work environment, but lately, there have been shortcomings on their end.
A well-known business that occasionally makes news is Dollar General. It was also in the news a few months ago when a manslaughter allegation was brought against a Dollar General employee.
How the incident took place
The shooting at 711 South 8th Street warranted the response of the Monroe Police Department on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. An armed robbery occurred at the store and according to the police, Rafus Anderson, a worker at Dollar General, was accused of shooting the suspect in retaliation for the heist. The guy entered the Monroe business with a weapon as Rafus Anderson was working inside.
Both a customer and the suspect were allegedly hit by the shooting. Following treatment at a nearby hospital, the patient was released. The August 2022 armed robbery at the Dollar General store was the sixth one.
Authorities said that after Anderson shot the thief, who was later identified as Monquarius Thomas, they discovered him lying on the ground outside the business, believed to be holding the money he was suspected of stealing.
Subsequently, it was also verified that DG Louisiana LLC and Rafus Anderson were sued by Johnnette Johnson, the mother of the accused armed robber who was shot and killed next to a Dollar General store in Monroe, Louisiana, for incidental expenses and emotional distress.
Was the Dollar General employee arrested?
Reportedly, Anderson was not aware that the gunfire had hit Thomas when he left the scene and later gave a statement to the Monroe Police Department. Anderson’s statement included that he “had no idea” that the suspect had been hit by gunshots because he was running and that he was terrified the suspect would kill him. In addition, he mentioned that since August, there have been six armed robberies at the store. Four robberies and two attempted robberies, he claimed.
Nonetheless, manslaughter charges were brought against Rafus Anderson after he shot and killed the armed robber. He was set to appear in court on Wednesday after being freed from custody on Tuesday without bail.
Although the arrest was uncalled for, it is that Anderson’s case appeared to be under the purview of the law, he was being held without the cost of bail. What constitutes a lawful stand-your-ground appears to have been more or less based on race in recent years.
Were the charges dropped against the employee?
Even though Anderson was charged by the police department, a grand jury determined that there was insufficient evidence to convict Anderson of manslaughter, and he was spared the charge. Neal Johnson, his attorney, stated that on Thursday, May 18, the grand jury returned a No True Bill which meant that it was concluded that there is not enough evidence of guilt to support a criminal charge against the accused.
As Dollar stores are now often the target of armed robbery, according to a joint investigation by The New Yorker and ProPublica published in 2020. They operate in less affluent neighborhoods and frequently pay with actual cash, which contributes to this. So any act of this sort was bound to happen.
Not only do they provide a convenient place for the less fortunate to purchase necessities, but they are frequently the only shops for a considerable distance. It’s often the only place for thieves to obtain cash, according to B.J. Bethel, a local NBC reporter in Dayton, Ohio, who was interviewed in the study. The fastest-growing retail industry in the United States is made up of chains like Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree, which are also popular targets for violent criminals.
Conclusion
Protecting oneself and one’s property is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution and the country’s legal framework. In order for civilization to carry on, criminals need to be aware that law-abiding citizens will not back down in the face of opposition and won’t be unfairly accused of defending themselves.
We are informed by the mainstream media that calling the police or any other law enforcement agency is as simple as picking up the phone. Recalling our own defense is merely another act of vigilantism that ought to be put down; instead, we should flee and surrender.
Though the police can’t be everywhere at once, no one respects them more than law-abiding residents. The majority of the time, emergency personnel and law enforcement get to the site just in time to record identities, gather evidence, and maybe transport the victims away.