CENTENNIAL, CO – John Zalesky, a 67-year-old former employee of a Walmart store in Centennial, Colorado, alleges that he was wrongfully terminated following an incident where he was stabbed by a suspected shoplifter. Zalesky had earned a reputation for identifying potential thieves during his 10-month tenure at the store, a skill that earned him and a colleague the playful moniker of “Starsky & Hutch,” a nod to the famous TV crime-fighting pair. His knack for spotting shoplifters was recognized by Walmart, which honored him with a “Shrink Buster of the Month” award in February for his role in mitigating inventory loss, a problem that cost the store an estimated $500,000 the previous year.
Zalesky’s termination came after an event on August 11, when he was injured while trying to apprehend a known repeat shoplifter. The woman, who had been identified by another cashier, disregarded Zalesky’s request to check her bag and ran from the store. Zalesky chased her to a car parked in a handicapped spot outside the store, where he was stabbed in the left forearm by a man who was with the woman.
Despite his injury, Zalesky declined medical attention, choosing instead to clean and dress the wound himself. He returned to work the next day, but was informed a week later that he was being dismissed for breaching a company policy that forbids employees from chasing shoplifters outside the store.
Zalesky expressed disappointment and frustration at the decision, arguing that his actions had saved the company substantial amounts of money and that he had never been dissuaded from intervening in thefts before. He also mentioned that he had planned to work at the store for another ten years before retiring.
In response to the incident, a Walmart representative stated that the company trains its associates to combat theft and adhere to company policies to ensure a safe environment for both employees and customers. The representative referred to Zalesky’s situation as “unfortunate” and wished him a quick recovery.
Police are currently on the lookout for the suspects, described as a man and a woman in their 30s. The woman is reported to have purple hair. Zalesky, in the meantime, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with his finances and is contemplating his next moves.