Employee says Family Dollar fired him for stopping theft

At a Cincinnati Family Dollar, a loss prevention officer lost his job doing exactly that –– stopping a theft.

Police confirmed a shopper named Amanda Baker had $39 worth of stolen goods in her purse.

Albert Jackson, the now-unemployed loss prevention officer, told WCPO he noticed Baker heading for the exit when he asked her if he could look inside her bag.

"She pulled down racks, she knocked stuff off the shelves...she hit me a couple times but I didn't respond until she hit me in the face and broke my glasses," Jackson told WCPO.

Jackson managed to hold Baker down until police arrived. He was then surprised when his boss fired him, saying he broke company policy and that the damage from the struggle cost more than the stolen goods.

He says he was told, "We no longer need your services because you cost the company more money than what we would have lost if she'd just left out the store."

Jackson argues he was never trained, but a Family Dollar spokesman told WCPO the company "has shoplifting policies and training in place for all team members, to try to ensure that circumstances like this are dealt with appropriately."

Still, there's one question: Did Jackson's conduct in any way cause Baker to start an altercation that damaged property?

"Where's the warning?" Jackson told WCPO. "Where's you sticking up for the employee? I mean, is it always about the money?" Jackson is currently filing for unemployment.