A Walgreens worker told police he shot a pregnant woman suspected of shoplifting in self-defense

The incident occurred at a Walgreens store.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

• A Walgreens employee who shot a suspected shoplifter Wednesday said he acted in self-defense.
• Mitarius Boyd, 21, shot Travonsha Ferguson in the store's parking lot after being sprayed with mace.
• Boyd said he followed Ferguson and another woman after they allegedly left the store without paying.

A Walgreens employee in East Nashville, Tennessee, said he shot a pregnant woman suspected of shoplifting in self-defense after following her to the parking lot. 

Team leader Mitarius Boyd, 21, told police officers that another employee informed him about two women suspected of shoplifting on Wednesday night, according to a police statement.

Boyd said he saw them placing items into a cart and into an over-the-shoulder bag. As he saw the pair leaving the store without paying, he told police he followed them to their car.

As he made his way to the rear side of the vehicle while the women put bags in the trunk, one sprayed him with a can of mace, per the police statement. 

Boyd said he then took his semi-automatic pistol and began shooting, saying he was fearful and didn't know if the women were armed. He shot 24-year-old Travonsha Ferguson, who was seven months pregnant. 

The women fled in their car and the Walgreens employee went back into the store and called 911. Ferguson was taken by her companion to hospital and was in a critical but stable condition. 

Police said doctors had to perform an emergency C-Section and the child, who was uninjured by the gunfire, was also in critical but stable condition. 

Police said Boyd was cooperating with the investigation and his gun and cell phone were seized. The District Attorney's Office will determine whether he will face charges.

"The safety of our patients, customers and team members is our top priority, and violence of any kind will not be tolerated at our stores. We take this matter seriously and are cooperating with local authorities," a Walgreens representative told WSMV4.

The Nashville DA's office and Walgreens didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours. 

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