While many pizza restaurants forbid their employees from carrying firearms for self-defense, delivery drivers know they make an easy target. Consequently, some make the decision that they’ll take care of themselves should trouble arise.
Following are five instances where armed pizza delivery drivers, or armed bystanders, used their firearms to save lives.
Twenty-six-year-old pizza delivery driver Ashley Marie Hurd was delivering a pizza to an address in Fayetteville, N.C., when an armed robber confronted her from behind. The criminal put a gun to Hurd’s head and demanded cash. Hurd responded by drawing her own gun, which prompted the robber to flee. (The Fayetteville Observer, Fayetteville, N.C., 3/14/14)
A pizza delivery driver for the restaurant Hungry Howie’s was working his shift in Redford, Mich., when a group of men attempted to rob him. As the delivery driver was confronted by a member of the group, he drew a gun and fired at the robber, killing him and causing his accomplices to flee.
Police captured the other thieves a short time later. The robbers face armed robbery and gun charges, with bail set at $250,000. (The Observer & Eccentric, Detroit, Mich., 10/25/13)
A pizza deliveryman was getting into his car following a delivery to a motel in West Melbourne, Fla., when a man armed with a knife confronted him and demanded cash. The delivery driver responded by retrieving a gun and firing at the criminal, killing him.
An investigation revealed that the deceased robber had a criminal record that included aggravated battery, armed robbery and false imprisonment. Following the incident, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivy noted, “Preliminary evidence in the case demonstrates that the intended victim of the robbery acted in self-defense while being robbed by a violent criminal who was armed with a knife.” (Space Coast Daily, Brevard County, Fla., 8/24/13)
An armed criminal approached a delivery driver outside a Domino’s Pizza in Springfield, Ohio, and attempted to rob him. An off-duty Domino’s employee noticed the robbery, drew a gun and shot the criminal. Despite having been shot twice in the stomach, the criminal attempted to retrieve his firearm, forcing a bystander to kick it away from him.
Police Chief Steve Moody made clear that the armed citizen has not been charged. Records show that the robber had spent three years in prison following a 2007 conviction for aggravated robbery and was currently under indictment for burglary. (The Dayton Daily News, Dayton, Ohio, 9/17/12)
Food delivery drivers have statistically one of the 10 most dangerous jobs in America. Whether that weighed on the mind of a Papa John’s delivery driver when he obtained a concealed-carry permit isn’t clear, but he was glad he did when a man stuck a stolen pistol through his car window and said, “What you gonna do is drop off that money.”
The driver drew a .38-cal. revolver and emptied the cylinder. The wounded assailant dropped his pistol and ran into a house across the street, where he was found by police. (The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., 11/5/11)
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