Armed Walgreens Employee Accused Pregnant Woman of Shoplifting, Then Allegedly Shot Her 7 Times: Lawsuit

Travonsha Ferguson was seven months pregnant at the time of the shooting

A Tennessee woman has filed a lawsuit against Walgreens after she was allegedly shot seven times by an armed employee who suspected her of shoplifting.

According to the civil complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Travonsha Ferguson was seven months pregnant at the time of the alleged April 12, 2023, shooting. Doctors had to perform an emergency C-section on the critically injured woman to deliver her son, who was born with a heart defect and “fought for his life for weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit," according to the complaint.

"Travonsha Ferguson will never fully recover from this shooting and has long-term health issues that she is forced to deal with every day,” her attorney L. Chris Stewart said in a statement. “We intend to hold Walgreens accountable for the egregious actions of their employee who was a team leader at that location.  Following someone to the parking lot and shooting them seven times for allegedly shoplifting is outrageous conduct that cannot be tolerated by corporations around the country."

Walgreens declined to comment about the lawsuit.  The employee, Mitarius Boyd, is no longer employed by Walgreens, the store chain tells PEOPLE.

According to the complaint, Walgreens employee, Mitarius Boyd, allegedly followed Ferguson and her friend to the parking lot of the Walgreens store on Gallatin Road in Nashville after he suspected them of shoplifting and “aggressively confronted [Ferguson] and her friend concerning the alleged stolen merchandise while cursing and screaming at them.”

Boyd “never identified himself as an employee,” the complaint alleges.

“Boyd continued threatening and aggressively approaching Ms. Ferguson and her friend,” per the complaint. “Once Boyd got near the trunk of their vehicle and continued his aggressive approach, Ms. Ferguson was prompted to spray mace at Boyd in fear of imminent bodily harm to Baby Ferguson and herself.”

Boyd allegedly shot Ferguson seven times, including one that struck her near her stomach, according to her attorneys.

Boyd allegedly told police he saw the women placing items into a cart and into a large over-the-shoulder bag. He started recording them with his cell phone and followed as they left the store without paying for the merchandise, according to a Metropolitan Nashville Police Department press release.

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“Boyd said as the women began placing items into the trunk of their car, he made his way to the rear side of the vehicle,” per the police release. “He said one of the women pulled a can of mace and began spraying it at him” and he started shooting, “saying he was in fear and didn’t know if they were armed.”

Police said Ferguson was dropped off at the hospital by her friend and then transferred by ambulance to Vanderbilt hospital.

Ferguson “sustained internal and/or intestinal injuries and, as a medical necessity, must now wear a colostomy bag to survive,” according to the complaint.

Her son is now at “an increased risk of long-term intellectual and developmental disabilities,” per the complaint.

A grand jury declined to indict Boyd for the incident, per WTVF.

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Read the original article on People.