The Herald Palladium, St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, Mich. 05/18/11

Around 4:30 a.m., two masked and armed men entered a Walgreens pharmacy in Benton Township, Mich. in an attempt to steal prescription drugs. One criminal guided a store manager at gunpoint over to a pharmacy counter then jumped over the counter to where pharmacist Jeremy Hoven was working. Hoven retrieved a revolver and fired at the robber, causing both criminals to flee. Hoven’s decision to arm himself came after a December 2007 robbery, at which point the longtime gun owner and NRA member obtained a Right-to-Carry permit in order to protect himself and his co-workers during the night shift. Those coworkers appreciated Hoven’s actions, with one night-shift manager sending him a card with a picture of his family as a show of thanks and support. Unfortunately, Walgreens denies the Right-to-Carry of their employees, even those charged with protecting items known to be the target of violent criminals. Walgreens fired Hoven by e-mail, eight days after the incident. Despite the actions of his former employer, Hoven is confident he did the right thing, stating, “In my mind, I can look at myself in the mirror. I can lay my head down in bed and sleep. In my mind, I did what I had to do.”