#VT grocery store worker fired after apprehending purse snatcher

This good Samaritan stopped a thief from stealing a woman’s purse, and his reward was losing his job.

A Vermont grocery store worker nabbed a purse snatcher — and was fired for his efforts.

Amir Shedyak, 20, who worked at the Hannaford supermarket in his hometown of Essex for four years, and was even an employee of the month, was canned after a heroic act in August.

As he was starting his shift, a man approached him and told him a woman had just been robbed.

“And he was like — an old lady’s purse just got stolen,” Shedyak, who is also a volunteer fireman, told local CBS station WCAX3. “I look to my right and I see a gentleman running across the parking lot and he had the purse in his hand.”

Shedyak grabbed the suspect from behind and held him down before calling the police. The suspect got away, but Shedyak was able to return the purse.

“She was trying to offer me money. ‘I don’t want your money, just wanted to help you out, do what’s right,’” he told the station .

Police confirmed that the man Shedyak stopped, Adrian Moore, 29, was found and charged with larceny.

Shortly after the incident, Shadyak was fired.

“We do not comment on personnel matters,” Hannaford said in a statement to the TV station.

“It’s not like I was going to do this to be some hero. I was like, ‘Hey, an old lady’s purse just got stolen, I want to do something about it,’” Shedyak said.

Local attorney Pietro Lynn said Shedyak was likely fired so the store wouldn’t be sued.

“It is not uncommon at all for employers to discourage employees from laying hands on customers,” Lynn told WCAX3. “There are many cases in Vermont where employers are held responsible for the wrongful acts of their employees,” Lynn said.

Shedyak – who was quickly hired by another company, said, “Why should it make a difference that, hey, I’m clocked in now — he’s in trouble. If I wasn’t clocked in — oh, you did a good job.”