BELTSVILLE, Md. (WUSA9) — A 26-year-old CVS store manager who was fired Friday for violating a company policy against confronting robbers says he’s applied to the Prince George’s County Police Department to become an officer.
“It was fight or flight, and I choose fight,” said Afghanistan veteran Joe Morici as he described the Friday morning confrontation inside the Calverton CVS store he was managing.
Morici said two men leapt over the pharmacy counter, stole prescription drugs and headed for the door. Morici told his staff to call 911 and went to see if any employees had been hurt. That’s when he confronted the two robbers and ended up grappling with them near the store’s front door.
Morici was able to disarm one suspect carrying a large screwdriver. The suspects also dropped drugs before fleeing.
Prince George’s County police now have a lookout posted for both men, who were caught on store surveillance cameras.
Morici served in the New York Army National Guard from 2007 to 2014 and was deployed to Afghanistan to help manage a medivac aviation unit.
“I was talking to the officers after the robbery and said I might get fired for this and they said ‘we’d hire you’, so I did apply to the Prince George’s County Police department,” Morici said.
Morici said he was sorry to lose his management job at CVS and understands why a violation of company policy resulted in termination. However, he wishes such situations could be considered on a “case by case” basis.
Now that he’s searching for a new career, Morici says he’s interested in occupations focused on helping others. He also has an interest in aviation but was disqualified as a candidate to fly helicopters in the Army because of color blindness.
