Former Walmart Employee Recovering After Attempting to Stop Alleged Shoplifter
A metro-area man, who was once employed at Walmart, is now recovering after a harrowing encounter with an alleged shoplifter. John Zalesky, a former front-end associate at the Walmart located on East Smoky Hill Road, found himself in a dangerous situation on August 11th.
Zalesky noticed a suspicious individual and decided to question and then follow the alleged shoplifter outside the store. The situation quickly escalated when Zalesky attempted to retrieve the woman’s purse, which he believed contained stolen goods. In a shocking turn of events, a male accomplice standing on the other side of the car lunged at Zalesky, stabbing him in the forearm.
“It stung,” Zalesky recalled. “I mean, it still stings from it.”
The confrontation didn’t end there. The attacker attempted to stab the 68-year-old Zalesky again before both individuals hastily jumped into a silver Toyota sedan, described as an early 2000s model, and sped away.
“When is enough enough?” Zalesky asked, reflecting on the incident.
Despite his brave actions, Zalesky was soon informed that he was being terminated from his position at Walmart, a decision he described as “corporate.”
“If I had the chance, I’d probably do it again,” Zalesky said, standing by his decision to intervene.
Walmart’s corporate headquarters has not responded to requests for comment regarding the incident.
For those who wish to support Zalesky and his family during this challenging time, a GoFundMe page has been set up.
