Imagine this: you’re working the late shift alone, just trying to get through the night, when a situation explodes into a terrifying fight for your life. That’s exactly what happened to 25-year-old Stephanie Dilyard, a 7-Eleven clerk in Oklahoma City, whose story has sparked a nationwide debate on self-defense, employee rights, and company policies.
The harrowing incident unfolded just after midnight on November 14th. Stephanie was working her shift when a 59-year-old man, Kenneth Thompson, walked in and tried to pay for his items with a counterfeit $100 bill. Being vigilant, Stephanie quickly noticed the fake currency and confronted the customer about it. That’s when things took a dark and violent turn.
Instead of accepting his mistake, Thompson immediately became aggressive. He started throwing merchandise at her and then escalated the confrontation to a full-blown physical attack. Police reports indicate that he grabbed Stephanie and began to strangle her while issuing frightening threats. Cornered and fearing for her life, Stephanie had only seconds to act.
In a split-second decision that ultimately saved her, Stephanie drew her personal firearm, which she had on her for protection. She fired one shot in self-defense. The bullet struck Thompson, who immediately disengaged and fled the scene. Remarkably, he didn’t run far; Thompson later called 911 himself and was taken into custody. He has since been charged with multiple felonies, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, making threats of violence, using counterfeit money, and parole violation.
Following the chaotic night, investigators thoroughly reviewed the facts and evidence. Crucially, law enforcement officials concluded that Stephanie’s actions were entirely justified under Oklahoma’s robust “Stand Your Ground” law. They recognized her as a victim who was forced to defend herself from a violent, life-threatening assault. The police had zero issues with how she handled the terrifying situation—she was, simply put, a hero who survived.
However, the relief of being exonerated by the law was tragically short-lived. Despite being legally justified and clearly acting to save her own life, 7-Eleven decided to terminate Stephanie’s employment. On November 17th, just three days after the attack, the company fired her, citing a strict policy that prohibits employees from carrying or using personal weapons on the job. The company’s decision has been widely called out as tone-deaf and cold-hearted, with one attorney even publicly stating that 7-Eleven’s action was “stupid.”
Stephanie Dilyard’s story forces us to look beyond corporate rulebooks and consider the real-life danger faced by essential workers, especially those on lonely, late-night shifts. It raises a difficult question: should a company’s policy trump an individual’s fundamental right to self-preservation, particularly when faced with a violent, potentially deadly attacker? For now, the 25-year-old clerk is left without a job, a heavy price to pay for the simple act of staying alive.
