In Moreno v. Circle K Stores, Inc., a 72-year-old convenience store clerk was fired after instinctively extending her arms toward an armed robbery suspect who had rounded the counter and moved toward her with hunting knives in hand. After the suspect grabbed cigarettes and fled—and was later arrested and pleaded guilty to menacing with a deadly weapon—her employer terminated her under its “Don’t Chase or Confront Policy.”
The court held that both Colorado’s statutory right to self-defense and the state constitution’s guarantee of the right to defend one’s life support the exception, reasoning that those rights are not forfeited upon entering the workplace. This is a resounding victory for self-defense rights.
The case returns to the federal district court for further proceedings. The full opinion is linked below.
Read Opinion Here: Moreno v. Circle K Stores – Wrongful Termination