In a dramatic turn of events, Texas security guard Percy Payne resigned from his job during a live television interview after being blamed by his employer for an assault by two would-be carjackers. The incident, which occurred at an office complex, was captured and later aired by local station KTBC.
On the evening of the assault, Payne, who worked for Priebe Security, noticed two individuals on surveillance footage entering a private underground garage with a malfunctioning door. “I witnessed two young Hispanic males on two electric scooters,” Payne recounted to KTBC.
Upon investigating, Payne found the two individuals attempting to break into his personal vehicle. “One individual was at my driver’s door with his back to me, looking back. The other individual was at my passenger door facing me, being a lookout,” he said. When the suspects noticed him, they attempted to flee, leading Payne to chase them in an effort to detain them until police arrived. This confrontation turned violent when one of the suspects tried to run Payne over with a scooter and then attacked him with a screwdriver.
“I heard [one] individual say, ‘hold him,’ and that’s when he went for the screwdriver to try to stab me,” Payne recalled. He managed to call 911, but initially, a dispatcher refused to send an officer because the car hadn’t been stolen. A second dispatcher corrected this mistake, and an officer arrived about an hour later, deeming the call an emergency case.
A few days after the incident, KTBC interviewed Payne at his workplace. During the interview, Payne’s supervisor interrupted, criticizing him for conducting the interview in his uniform. She insisted he was violating company policy and berated him for his actions during the incident. When Payne asked if the situation was his fault, his supervisor shockingly replied, “I would say yes, every bit of it.”
This response was the breaking point for Payne. “The fact that my supervisor basically told me it was my fault that I got assaulted, that let me know all that I needed to know,” he stated before removing his uniform and quitting on the spot.
Priebe Security later issued a statement saying, “We’re in the process of gathering details. We have been made aware of it and are looking into the situation.”
The public reaction has been divided. Some criticized Payne’s supervisor, arguing she should be held accountable for her insensitivity. Others pointed out that security guards are typically trained to observe and report rather than physically intervene. “Security aren’t cops, you never chase once the offenders try to leave. You let them leave,” commented one critic. Another added, “Security guards are NOT COPS, they are only supposed to get physical in self-defense. The guard got physical first and broke protocol.”
