Protesters Support Fired Clerk Who Thwarted Armed Robber with Gun

What started with one man holding a sign became a community of support for Bear Cothran at the corner of Lake and Main streets Saturday.

The gathering, organized by Kevin Boyle, a longtime friend of Cothran, was meant to send a message to the Nouria Energy Corp., the company that owns the Shell station where Cothran worked for the past decade.

His employment came to an abrupt end on Oct. 14, after a robber with a knife entered the convenience store at 3 a.m. and demanded money. Cothran, who has a license to carry a gun, pulled his Ruger handgun out and deterred the robber, who left the store empty handed.

Nouria notified Cothran before his next midnight shift that he was fired, a fact of the matter that Cothran accepts, because he understands it's the company's policy. But he knew he was vulnerable, working the late shift alone, and so he made a personal decision to carry the gun – especially with the recent rash of unsolved armed robberies in Nashua, which number about 20 now.

On Saturday many supporters – old friends, old customers, relatives and people who'd never met him before – showed up with signs on the corner of Main and Lake to send to the public – and to the company – their collective message, that if employees aren't permitted to protect themselves, then the company needs to put more safeguards in place.

Cothran arrived to a hero's welcome, greeted by many who just wanted to shake his hand.

Nashua Police Officer Peter Forgione was assigned to stand by at the event and make sure protestors didn't block the business or encroach on private property. At one point a second officer arrived after neighbors in the area reported seeing a man carrying an assault-style rifle.

That man, who identified himself as Chez Perez of Nashua, said he was just exercising his Second Amendment rights, and was there in full support of Cothran.

"I'm here with my firearms to make sure people know, hey, we wear them, we use them, as necessary, as Bear did, and then he got fired protecting his own life. That's outrageous. That's just insane," Perez said. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun... is a good guy with a gun." [See video above for more from Perez.]

Several hours after the protest, Nouria Energy Corp. issued the following statement:

"We take the health and safety of our employees very seriously. We operate more than 80 convenience stores and it is our responsibility to make sure they are safe for everyone. Every aspect of our facilities – the lighting, the shelves, the windows, the landscaping, the security systems and more – is designed and installed with safety in mind.

In addition, all of our employees are thoroughly trained on safety procedures and policies that have been endorsed by recognized law enforcement and security professionals. One of those policies is to prohibit employees from bringing firearms into the workplace. We believe this policy is the best way to keep everyone safe, and the experts in our field agree.

We recognize that Mr. Cothran was a reliable and hardworking employee, and we certainly took his time with the company into consideration when this incident occurred. However, our policy of no weapons in the workplace is clear. Because it is a policy designed for the safety of all of our employees, it must be applied consistently to be effective.

The National Association of Convenience Stories (NACS) endorses this approach to safety and security.

'I have not spoken to a security expert who recommends arming employees in any manner,' said NACS executive Jeff Lenard. 'The likelihood of violence escalates when store clerks resist, and even businesses that once had armed guards, such as banks, have pulled back on that practice because it creates the potential for a shootout.'

We care more about the personal well-being of our employees than we do about the money in the cash register, and we will continue to pursue policies that give our workers and customers the best chance for a healthy and safe store environment."