Jennifer Wertz worked at Circle K for five years in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Until last week, that is, when she shot an alleged armed robber who had pointed a gun at her. While most Americans would applaud her action, Circle K promptly suspended her. After she talked to the media, Circle K fired her. Since then, a Go Fund Me page has collected big bucks to help Jennifer and her family.
Company policy at Circle K, like many chains, says employees should never resist robbers. However, Wertz didn’t have ballistic glass between her and 23-year-old Ferron Mendez, who had barged into her store with a gun.
Knowing she had a disabled mother and her three children at home who all loved her and counted on her, she pulled her own gun and shot the (alleged) would-be robber in the chest. She told reporters that she had only minutes before retrieved her gun from her car after hearing of another armed robbery nearby. Her action might well have saved her life.
People from all walks of life, hearing of Circle K’s termination of a long-time employee for merely defending herself, have responded to a Go Fund Me page. Ms. Wertz’s mother set it up and as of this writing, it stands at $71,500.
In our original story, I wrote:
Ms. Wertz says she’s looking for a new job now. Surely some business owner in or near Albuquerque would appreciate a clerk with her fortitude and gumption, someone who won’t roll over for two-bit hoodlums without a fight.
Sure enough. The next day, KOB4 reported how job offers have come in for Ms. Wertz:
Job opportunities, support come to clerk who shot suspected robber
…While police may not be pressing charges, she now faces the challenge of finding a new job.
However, there could be a change in fortune for Wertz. She is already receiving multiple job offers and overwhelming support from the community.
Wertz said she plans to take some time off to deal with the emotional trauma of what she’s been through, before deciding what to do next, but she said Calibers Gun Shop and Shooting Range has already contacted her.
“I would love to set up an interview and see if it’s a good fit for me and good fit for them,” she said.
I contacted Calibers Gun Shop and Shooting Range and left a voicemail message for the corporate COO for comment. As of this writing it remains as yet returned. Kudos for Calibers for reaching out to the Ms. Wertz.
Young Jennifer showed further courage telling the local TV station KOB4:
Wertz hopes her experience gives others the courage to protect themselves and take a stand against crime in Albuquerque.
“They don’t have to be nonchalant and a sitting duck and bow down to these criminals, because that’s the problem,” she said. “We’ve bowed down so many times they’re now running our city. We need to stand up and show them that we are willing to protect ourselves and protect our home and protect what matters.”
While anyone can talk a good game, it does take courage to stand up against a criminal attack. I think we all share relief that this mom survived the encounter uninjured. Furthermore, the fact she will land on her feet after the incident helps reaffirm our belief in the good people of the world.
I don’t ever patronize c-stores for reasons like this. Especially chains.
I don’t get it. The video I mean. These don’t play on firefox. With all the complaints being posted about autoplay,maybe I am lucky.
Click on the share button in the video frame, then the chain link, then paste into your location bar in your browser.
I’m running Firefox and I have no problem.
Well, now. She’s done what about 98-99% of our regulars here haven’t done.
She knows what it’s like to shoot another person. And she knows that when the shtf she isn’t helpless or useless.
I chipped in 5 bucks. IMHO, this is how we win. If we all took these kind of opportunities to chip in some pocket change we can make a huge difference. Like the pizza shop in Indiana. Sure it’s a different cause, but a reporter sought out a small town Christian small business and got the daughter of the business owner to say that they probably would decline to cater a gay wedding (what self respecting homosexual would have his/her/it’s wedding catered by the local 2 bit pizza parlor?). The ‘activists’ shut the place down, but someone set up a go-fund-me page and a week later they had $800,000.
Sure, this isn’t likely to change Circle K’s policy, but it can change it can change their employees willingness to thumb their noses at corporate and pack their heat anyway.
Amen, brother!
The Left has raped the word racist just like they raped the word rape. Just ask all the dudes in the college kangaroo courts.
There was much rejoicing!!! Couldn’t help myself.
that scalise comment is a real lollapalosi. she needs a suppressor more than i do.
Hmm, you could buy 3 Browning BARs at those MSRPs if you’re looking for a 308-based semiauto for hunting.
Calibers is a good place. I’ve done a fair bit of business with them. They’ve always been extremely helpful and professional.
If you’re in Burque they’re a good business.
I think we need a hypocrisy law if you advocate for depriving someone of something you are bound to live by it.
If you don’t want guns you can’t be protected by them.
There’s a local libertarian in Boulder, CO named Jon Caldera, a real guns, cigars, and Scotch kind of guy. He was on the transit board and spent his entire term telling the taxpayers that light rail was a boondoggle that would only serve to further line the pockets of the fat cats. Well, that kind of honesty just won’t fly. Media Matters was all over him, every day.
When the local branch of MM folded, Jon was quoted as saying “I feel like I just lost a stalker girlfriend.”
Way to just pick out a few of the items on the list that aren’t obviously racist. Some of the comments made by NRA representatives are clearly racist. There really isn’t any denying that. Aside from those in the organization who are actually racist (just about every company has some of those morons), the NRA, like the Democrats and Republicans, are happy to use race when they think it will motivate their donors. Its all about the money. If race baiting sells, they will keep doing it. That is why the NRA weighs in on all kinds of issues that have nothing to do with gun rights, and why they don’t receive my money.
So my Georgia permit works in Ohio, that’s good ! What about open carry ?
If one is the sort to get $10,000 custom paint job for their Camry, this probably makes sense too.
The fun thing about gun shows is, well, guns. Which are inherently cool and fun. What would an anti-gun show feature? Dildos? Dildos with M-Lok or KeyMod slots?
When the sole purpose of your organization is to rant against something, and not promote anything, it’s going to be pretty dull.
“But, the 2nd amendment was written in the time of muzzleloaders and muskets and does not apply to today’s weapons!” Says the gun control advocate.
Subsequently wants to ban a muzzleloader.
If one could win the culture war with copious amounts of spam…the NRA would win hands down. They pass the plate more than the catholic church.
IMHO the antis have fallen down in two areas, both of which the NRA has not.
1) The antis have managed to align themselves with the far Left in many parts of the public’s mind. They’ve done this with their shrill demands for bans and even retroactive bans as well as cross support for other groups. Example: trying to tie gay rights to gun control about five seconds after Orlando.
The result is similar to the DARE program. People figure if you lie about one thing you lied about everything and when you start tying your shtick to small grievance groups most people don’t care much about people tune out your message. On top of that they’ve, fairly or not, managed to lump themselves in with groups like Antifa. Because, you know, bashing people with bricks and bike locks makes other people want to give up their CCW pistol…
2) The antis have managed to, with really OTT rhetoric, alienate a lot of people because most people don’t live in a place where “gun violence” is a problem. If people, generally, interact with a “gun person” they find them friendly, approachable and mild mannered. As opposed to the antis who generally can’t converse for more than 90 seconds without either flying off the handle or saying things that make zero sense.
As for the “culture war” this is another place where the antis/Leftists fall down. Most people don’t want a restructuring of society from top to bottom to “accommodate” some very small segment of the population that really isn’t being oppressed in the first place. This is where I don’t mind the NRA going “culture warrior” because if enough of the “culture war” is lost at the ballot box that will naturally erode gun rights. Far Left “culture warriors” might not run on gun control but they will support it in the Legislature or anywhere else they happen to attain office.
Oh well buddy you ARE running to be an establishment pol. Deal with it. I myself spent a coupla’ daze in fakebook jail for using a BAD word. Gay…about a gay thing. And that’s ALL I typed…f##k fakebook.
Overheard:
“Evil people buying influence to inflict their preferences on regular folks with less money?”
“We must get money out of politics. For the little guy!”
“Wait, it’s Bloomie, buying outcomes for our side?”
“Nevermind.”
I bet a group of college engineering students could come up with a half dozen ways to fight this in half an hour. Trouble is, we’re stuck with politicians making the decisions.
I guess Im a wimp. With 35 years of hand gunning.
Having no military experience.
A good old 10mm full power load Commander size 1911, mine.
338 MAG in a 700 rifle.
Never even shot a large magnum hand gun. Ive never had the opportunity.
I guess a small black powder cannon of unknown caliber might count?? Baseball sized ball. Lots of smoke and couldn’t literally hit a 4×8 piece of plywood 50 yards down range.