Papa John's Employee Saves Herself by Shooting Robber in the Face

A Papa John's delivery driver who shot an armed robber in the face will not be fired, the pizza chain confirms. As NPR reports, the shooting occurred on Sunday night near Atlanta, Georgia. While delivering a pizza, the employee — whose name has not been released — walked into what is now believed to be a setup for a carjacking and heist. When she arrived at the delivery address, a man approached her car and pulled a gun out. He forced her out of the car and onto the ground.

Though Papa John's company policy states that employees are not allowed to bring guns to work, the delivery driver had a gun with her. The police report confirms that she had the gun in her pocket and was able to reach for it while down on the ground. She then pointed the gun at the man's face and shot him. Instead of eating what was probably a hot pizza, Donquaz Stevenson, ate a bullet. He survived and "was later found nearby with a gunshot wound to his face. After being taken to a nearby hospital he was charged with armed robbery.

The Papa John's employee was understandably shaken after the event, and afraid she would lose her job. When news spread of the incident, fans showed their support for her and her job on Papa John's Facebook page.

One fan wrote:

"A delivery driver protects her life and your profit should be given a promotion and a raise not loose her job. If fired I will call for a boycott of your pizza from all my friends and family !"

Papa John's confirmed to NPR that the delivery driver would not be fired, but would instead be reassigned to a position inside a Papa John's location.

"The shooting that occurred during a Papa John's delivery in Atlanta recently is a tragic event. The safety of Papa John's employees is a top priority for our company. Company policy prohibits employees from utilizing firearms in the performance of their duties. We plan no changes to our current policy, which is designed to protect customers and employees. Upon investigation and considering the specific facts of the situation, we have reassigned the employee to work in the store and are offering her counseling to help her recuperate from the incident."

It is unclear if working inside a restaurant is any safer, however. Though restaurants are robbed all the time, employees have found creative ways to defend themselves. A sushi chef in Illinois used his knife to defend himself earlier this month, while in Pennsylvania an employee thwarted a robber with a roll of toilet paper late last year.