An Army veteran said he was fired from his management job at a CVS in Beltsville, Maryland after he confronted a pair of robbers who were attempting to steal prescription drugs from the store.
Joe Morici, who served in Afghanistan, told his employees to call 911 when two men jumped the pharmacy counter and demanded access to the store's safe. As the criminals started to leave the store Morici confronted them.
"My main concern just everyone's safety in the building," he told Fox 5. "I reacted out of instinct."
One of the robbers was armed with a screwdriver. Morici was able to get the screwdriver away from him during the struggle but the two robbers were able to escape the scene before police arrived.
Morici said that his boss then arrived at the store and informed him he was fired because he intervened in the robbery. "It's not a good feeling," he told the news station. "I've never been let go from a position-- especially something like that."
"It's not a good feeling," he told the news station. "I've never been let go from a position-- especially something like that."
CVS would not comment on Morici's claim that he was fired. They said that the safety of their employees and customers was their highest priority.
"In the unfortunate event of a robbery at one of our stores, the safety and well-being of our customers and employees is always our highest priority," the company said in a statement to Fox 5. "We do not comment on specific security procedures or policies as we do not want to undermine them."
Morici said that he was upset about losing his job but he didn't wait long to try to find his next job. He reportedly asked the police if they were hiring once they showed up to interview him about the crime.