A former Kroger manager in Georgia says he was fired three days after intervening when an elderly co-worker was allegedly confronted and assaulted by masked shoplifting suspects outside the store.
Michael Self, who said he had worked for Kroger for 14 years and managed the company’s North Decatur Road location in DeKalb County, has spoken publicly about the May 24, 2025 incident, saying he was trying to protect his colleague when he was struck in the back of the head.
According to Self’s account, several masked individuals allegedly left the store with merchandise that morning before an elderly employee followed them outside. Cellphone footage from the incident reportedly shows an altercation in the parking lot, during which the employee was allegedly shoved.
Self said he immediately went outside after seeing what was happening.
“I literally just wanted to draw the tension away from my associates, get them to stop and everybody just be done,” Self said while recounting the incident.
He said that as he moved away from the store entrance, someone struck him from behind with an object.
Footage from the incident reportedly shows Self falling to the ground. He was subsequently taken to Emory University Hospital, where he was treated for a concussion and received staples for an injury to his head.
Self said he expected the company to support him after he intervened to assist a colleague. However, he was terminated three days later.
According to Self, Kroger cited a violation of its shoplifting policy as the reason for his dismissal. He said the termination letter accused him of starting the confrontation, a characterization he disputes.
“I didn’t even get to talk to the people that decided to fire me,” Self said.
The case has since generated criticism and questions online about how retailers should balance employee safety, anti-shoplifting policies and intervention during incidents involving customers or suspected thieves.
However, several details circulating in social media posts about the case require caution. Claims about the identities or race of the suspects, as well as assertions about exactly what happened before and during the confrontation, should not be treated as independently established without confirmation from police records or other reliable evidence.
DeKalb County police have reportedly continued to treat the incident as an open investigation. Public reports have not established that the suspects have been arrested or charged.
The case has also raised broader questions about the risks employees face when confronting or intervening in suspected shoplifting incidents. Many major retailers have policies discouraging employees from physically confronting suspected shoplifters, with the stated aim of reducing the risk of injury to workers and customers.
For Self, however, the incident remains personal. He says he was attempting to protect a colleague when he was injured and subsequently lost the job he had held for more than a decade.
More than a year after the incident, Self is seeking to tell his side of the story and find new employment while disputing the circumstances surrounding his dismissal.
The incident has renewed discussion about workplace safety, employee protection and the difficult decisions workers can face when violence breaks out in the workplace.
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