Stephanie Dilyard, Oklahoma 7-Eleven Clerk Fired After Using Gun During Violent Attack Despite Actions Being Ruled Justified [PHOTOS]

An Oklahoma 7-Eleven clerk says she was fired for defending herself during a violent attack inside the convenience store, even though investigators ruled her actions were legally justified. Stephanie Dilyard, 25, was working the overnight shift alone at a 7-Eleven in Oklahoma City on November 14 when a customer attempted to use a counterfeit $100 bill — a confrontation that escalated into a life-threatening assault.

According to Dilyard, the customer, identified as 59-year-old Kenneth Thompson, became aggressive and threatening as soon as she questioned the bogus bill. “He threatened me and said he was going to slice my head off,” she recalled. When she tried to call police, Thompson allegedly began throwing objects at her, then forced his way behind the counter and put his hands on her.

Dilyard said she tried to escape, but Thompson grabbed her by the neck and shoved her out of the counter area. Fearing for her life, she pulled out her legally owned handgun and fired once, striking him in the stomach. Thompson fled the store and made it several blocks before calling 911. He was taken into custody at the hospital and charged with assault and battery, attempting to pass counterfeit currency, threatening acts of violence, and violating parole on an existing felony warrant.

Stephanie Dilyard, Oklahoma 7-Eleven Clerk Fired After Using Gun During Violent Attack Despite Actions Being Ruled Justified

Authorities later determined Dilyard’s use of force was justified under Oklahoma’s stand-your-ground law, which allows individuals to defend themselves when facing imminent danger of death or severe bodily harm. But despite being cleared of wrongdoing, Dilyard says 7-Eleven terminated her employment three days later, on November 17, due to a policy prohibiting clerks from possessing firearms on the job.

“They said they were separating from employment because of a violation of policy,” said Dilyard, who had been working the overnight shift from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. for more than two years — often alone. She says she has no regrets, emphasizing that her priority was returning home alive to her three children. “I was put in a corner between choosing my job and choosing my life, and I’m always going to choose my life. I need to be here for my kids.”

Dilyard hopes her case encourages the company to strengthen safety measures for clerks, especially women, who often work overnight with limited protection. “If I know someone really intends to take my life, I will do whatever it takes. And I hope other women see that and will do the same. You have a right to defend yourself.”

Since being fired, Dilyard has launched a GoFundMe to support her family while she is out of work. She wrote that employees are given no security and are not allowed to carry any form of self-defense, including mace — one reason she chose to quietly carry her own firearm. “I never expected to be in this situation, but I did what I had to do to go home to my kids,” she wrote. “I was a good employee, committed and determined, but in between a rock and a hard place I had to make a quick decision — lose my life, or lose my job.”