10/28 Charleston, IL Woman Stabbed by Ex-Boyfriend at Substance Abuse Residential Program

Steven B. Decker, 47, is charged with attempted murder as he went to Elizabeth E. Knupp’s workplace at the Central East Alcoholism and Drug Council residential facility and stabbed her numerous times with a steak knife. She had a TRO since Sept. 12th which he violated earlier when he left her a card on her car on Oct. 17th. Knupp stated that she was afraid for her life when she realized Decker had arrived shortly before midnight. He allegedly told her not to do anything when she started to reach for a telephone. She then ran down a hallway and was knocked down as Decker stabbed her on the chest, in the stomach and hands. There was an earlier conviction for domestic battery between them.

11/04 Kitsap, WA Counselor Stabbed by Client during Home Visit

Larry William Clark stabbed Marty Smith to death as he responded to a crisis counseling call at Clark’s mother’s apartment. She had called Kitsap Mental Health Services as Smith had been off his medication. Clark, a counselor, went to the home and decided to bring him in for a mental evaluation. When Clark refused to go, Smith called 911. Clark beat Smith, according to police, then stabbed him to death with a knife.

11/20 Redding, CA Woman Plans Murder of Ex-boyfriend at her Workplace

Six people were arrested in relations to the murder of Leo Wayne Tokarz Rapp, 20. Investigators believe Rapp was lured to the workplace of his former girlfriend, 18-year-old Victoria Rose Sherman. Rapp had allegedly sexually assaulted her and that she and others devised a plan to assault him. As they were leaving town, they hit a ditch which caused the car to flip over. Responding officers then found the body in the trunk. The assault occurred in the garage of the care facility where Sherman worked.

11/12 Windsor, Canada Dr. Stabs Nurse in Hospital then Over-doses

Dr. Mark Daniel, 50, an anesthesiologist at Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital stabbed Lori Dupont near the start of her day shift as she was preparing a post-surgery recovery room with another nurse shortly before 9 a.m. He assaulted her with a military style dagger and then fled the scene only to be found a short while later, dying from a overdose of drugs. The two had previous relationship but she ended it earlier this year. He was then removed from duty due to his stalking behavior and because of his suicide attempt, from which she had saved his life. The hospital reportedly had taken numerous security measures to protect Dupont but later some were eased, allegedly with her approval, even after he returned to work at the hospital. She had applied for a TRO against him back in February but the hearing for the trial was still pending while the attack occurred. Daniel later died from the overdose.

11/23 Glen Burnie, MD Former Truck Driver Returns to Shoot Supervisors at Food Distrubution Center

Joe Cobb, 54, entered H&M Wagner & Sons, a food distribution center where he worked as a truck driver and shot 2 former supervisors. Operations Manager Jack Helms was shot twice in the stomach and chief truck driver Ray Hines was shot in the arm before Cobb went outside and committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with a .38 caliber handgun. He had worked at the center for 4 years before being fired several weeks ago for misconduct issues. Co-workers stated that although he made no known threats, he was alledgely hostile, had a bad temper and was going through family difficulties. The supervisors were later released from the hospital.

11/11 Houston, TX Abuser/Escapee Show Up at Nightclub Where Victim Works

Santiago J. Gonzalez, 20, escaped from a community residential treatment program that was part of probation for an assault on his girlfriend. He showed up at her workplace, a nightclub at around midnight but was not apprehended by police. Only a few hours later, he was at her apartment with 5 or 6 other men as they kicked in her bedroom and living room windows. Gonzalez and the woman have a child together.

8/04 School Supervisors Tackle Suspended Employee with Assault Rifle

Walter "Pete" Soucy and Vincent Smith received the Hartford Police Dept.’s Distinguished Citizen's Award for their heroic efforts in stopping a workplace violence tragedy. The two confronted and subdued a suspended employee who showed up armed with a loaded Colt AR-15 semiautomatic assault rifle. The suspect, who had three clips on him, was suspended for drinking on the job by Soucy.

11/12 Easton, MD Applebee’s Workers Shot into Van after Work

Jermiar Singletary, 29 and Deaven Smith, 27, were leaving work at the restaurant when Singletary allegedly got into an argument with a man who was waiting in the parking lot for another employee. The man alledgely provoked the workers and rammed Singletary's vehicle with his van. According to police, Singletary retrieved a gun from his vehicle and fired 3 times, once into the man's van. The firearm was later found by law enforcement and stopped the two men on another street.

8/17 Haverford Township, PA Man Stabs Wife to Death at Mattress Factory

Kevin Sullivan, 45, allegedly stabbed his wife to death while she was at work at the Verlo Mattress Factory near a shopping center. Lori Sullivan, 39, was assaulted with a hunting style knife and was struck on the right side of her neck. Police were called at 1:50 p.m. and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The next day, a witness told police that Sullivan had called him the day before at about 1:38 p.m. and allegedly said, "I f--- up. I think I killed Lori."

9/27 Crete, Greece Man Kills Wife for Custody of Son

A 50-year-old man confessed to killing his 43-year old wife. He alleges to want to reunite with her but the received a court notice regarding the custody of their youngest boy. He shot her twice with a hunting rifle as she was leaving her workplace.

10/31 Tysons Corner, VA Woman Rescued from Sexual Assault in Bathroom

Benyamen Marshall, 27, was charged with abduction as he sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom at her workplace. It was lunchtime when a few men heard screaming inside of the Ladies room. One man entered and tried to pull the Marshall off the 23-year old victim but was also assaulted. As the door was then locked, the other men had to beat down the door to rescue them. Allegedly, the doors to the bathroom had been locked, requiring a key but that procedure was dropped because of inconvenience.

9/25 Rockville, MD Customer Assaults Employee at Best Buy

Giovanna Saenz, 41, the managing director of a Community Ministries organization, was charged with three counts of second-degree assault and resisting arrest after a dispute over a refund with a customer service representative. She was in a Best Buy, trying to return an MP3 player but when she was refused, she became enraged and threw two MP3 players and a CD player, striking an employee. After police arrived, she refused to leave. When officers tried to escort her, she struck him on the face with an open right hand and knocked down an employee en route to the door, according to the charges. She was then apprehended by police and charged with assault.

9/26 Port Washington, NY Man Takes Teenager from Workplace Whom He Met On-Line

Daniel Gillott, 37, was charged with with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse when he took a teen-ager from work place and assaulted her. They had met on-line and exchanged e-mails. He was able to figure out where she worked through her extensive online profile. Gillott waited until the teenager went outside for a break, at around 4 p.m. He approached her, engaged her in a conversation, then allegedly lured the girl into his car through threats and had inappropriate and forcible sexual contact with her. It's unclear whether the girl returned to her job after the alleged attack, but that night she told her parents about the incident, and they called police and filed a report. He was arrested 3 days later.

10/18 North Lauderdale, Fla. Woman Stabs Co-Worker over Microwave Use

A south Florida woman stabbed another female co-worker as they worked at a Walgreens store. The pair, 20 and 23, had an ongoing dispute that came to a head. The offender used a large kitchen knife and stabbed the other in the abdomen over a fight about use of the workplace microwave oven. The two fought over the knife until the store manager managed to separate them and sent to separate hospitals.

10/21 Syosset, NY Man Stabs Boss with Steak Knife

Darlin Fajardo, 35, stabbed his boss, Robert Sisia, 51, on a Friday morning at Tassone Equipment Corp. The two began to argue around 12 Noon though it is not yet known what the two were fighting about. Fajardo used a steak knife when he struck Sisia in the chest, killing him. He then drove away and is sought by police. According to accounts, Fajardo had a bad temper and got upset a lot, fighting with other workers often.

Waitress Denied UI Benefits after Fired for Horse-play

Susan C. Medeiros, who had worked for 22 years as a hostess at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, was fired July 30, 2000, after she jokingly placed her hands around the throat of a co-worker and shook her for about five seconds. Recently, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that she would not be eligible for unemployment benefits under state law. The situation was that a co-worker who was dissatisfied with a work schedule complained, and as a result, many workers found their schedules changed. The incident that got Medeiros fired was fairly unremarkable to anyone who's ever worked in a restaurant. Medeiros, a senior hostess, came up behind the co-worker, put her hands around her neck and shook her lightly while laughingly saying, "It's all because of you." The co-worker reported the incident to a manager and Medeiros was fired. Her employer’s stance is that her conduct was in deliberate disregard of the standards of behavior which they expect of all employees.

10/23 Lake Worth, FLa Man Attacks Ex-Wife with Butcher Cleaver at Market

Rudolph Burke, 48, was charged with attempted first-degree murder when he attacked his ex-wife at her workplace. Merl Samuels was working at the Lake Worth Drive-in market when her ex-husband arrived around 12:30 p.m. He attaked her with a butcher cleaver, striking her in the neck, face and leg before trying to run off. Witnesses tackled him and held him down till law enforcement arrived. She is fair condition.

10/14 Durham, NC Duke Professor Charged with Simple Assault of Employee

Dr. Samuel Wells, 69 and a professor of surgery for the Duke University School of Medicine, was arrested for allegedly grabbing the arm of a female Duke employee. He was apparently attempting to restrain her from leaving on her way to work, according to the warrant and arrest report. The incident took place at 6:27 a.m. and the victim called the police who took her to the magistrate’s office. The relationship between Wells and his accuser and the circumstances surrounding the event are unknown.

10/14 Hickory, NC Man Shoots Wife at her Job in Hospital

Howard McGrady, 62, walked into the outpatient unit of Frye Regional Medical Center and shot at his wife, Judy McGrady 3 times with a .44 magnum revolver. She had left him earlier in the week for unknown reasons. She working her job as a transcriptionist when he found her at her office which is off a hallway that leads from the common waiting area. It was around 10:40 am when he stood in the hallway, outside her office and started firing. Co-workers tackled him and held him till security arrived. Fortunately as the assault occurred in a hospital, she was able to receive quick emergency care and is expected to recover.

10/14 Orlando, FL Man Points Sub-Machine Gun at Wife at Wal-Mart

Jose D. Hernandez, 37, walked into his wife’s workplace at approximately 5 pm in the evening and pointed a Tech-9, an assault rifle that is easily adapted to be fully automatic. It was at her Wal-Mart store when he found her, pointed the "now legal" assault rifle and pulled the trigger but it did not fire. He was later found inside a home by officers. As he was trying to load the weapon while ordered to drop it, he was killed by the responding officers. There had been more than 20 previous domestic disturbance calls to their home in the past and a recent one lead to an appointed with a prosecutor to file charges against him. But as she did not show up for the meeting, charges where never filed.

10/12 Trinidad Man Stabs Wife to Death at Gas Station

Rooplal Nandlal, 42, was charged with stabbing to death his wife Radha, 41, at an NP Quik Shoppe gas station where she worked as a cleaner. She was stabbed times in the neck, chest and arms and died as her lungs and liver were punctured. The attacked occurred during the work day as dozens of people saw her die.

10/10 Clinton, MD Man Sets Wife on Fire at Cell Phone Store

Roger Brian Hargrave, 33, was charged with attempted murder and assault when he attempted to burn Yvette Cade to death. Witnesses stated that he entered a cellular telephone store in and confronted Mrs. Cade, who was trying to end their abusive marriage. He threw gasoline on her and then set her on fire. Cade tried to obtain a restraining order in August but the order was rescinded last month when the judge decided that there was not enough evidence of a physical threat. She is expected to recover.

10/7 Edgewater, MD Man Kills Ex-Girlfriend’s Boss and Associate at Mortgage Firm

Michael Wayne Baxter Jr., 30, shot and killed Kenneth Brian Kertesz, 43, and wounded William Augustus Snow, 44, who was not an employee but an associate also present. He then drove his truck to a nearby drugstore and killed himself. The shooting, which occurred at Universal Mortgage and Finance, was committed just before 3:30 pm. A Prince George’s county police spokesman stated that the shooting was domestic in nature, but did not elaborate. Other sources state the shooting was a result of a breakup between Michael Wayne Baxter and Erin McLaughlin, an employee of mortgage firm. On the day of the tragedy, McLaughlin wasn't at work, but Baxter still came to the firm to commit the assault.

10/7 Houston, TX Ex-Employee Returns to Kill Employer During Robbery

Kevin Christian Martin, 26, a fired Jason's Deli employee, returned with two friends with plans to rob his former workplace and ended up killing his former boss, Ryan David Martin, 29 (no relation). Kevin was fired him less than two weeks earlier for using a customer's credit card. Testimony revealed that Martin recruited two friends to burglarize the deli while it was closed and steal money from the safe but when they arrived, the owner was inside working. Although Ryan Martin, who had two young children, did not resist, he was shot in the neck and died in a back office, testimony revealed.

10/5 West Palm Beach, FL Employer Shot by Ex-Boyfriend of Employee during Rosh Hashanah Services

Marc Benayers, 79, shot Jonathan Samuels, 44, at a synagogue during Rosh Hashanah prayer service. While this was not at either man’s employment, a job-related relation was the source of the dispute. Samuals was the employer of Maria Pinto, Benayer’s ex-girlfriend. Benayer had allegedly been stalking and threatening her for months, as well as her 16-year-old daughter and her two bosses. Despite the threatening letters and numerous calls to police, allegedly they weren't able to get Benanyer arrested. At work, it became as issue as "She was always crying, always howling at her desk," said Mark Levy, Samuel’s business partner. They had tried to help their employee leave her abusive relationship and even assisted in her application for a restraining order and obtaining full ownership of her home. According to family members, Benayers came to the temple with a gun and called Samuels out of the temple. He then tried to talk it over once more but when he walked away, Samuals was shot in the back twice. He is in critical condition. While being taken into custody Tuesday by Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies, Benayer stated, “(he) got a restraining order against me. . .He is the mastermind, the engineer of my destruction.”

FL Bill to Allow Workers to Bring Gun to Work

Two state lawmakers, backed by the National Rifle Association, have filed bills in the Florida legislature that would allow workers to have guns at work, as long as the weapons remain locked in their vehicles. With this particular bill, employers could even face up to 5 years in prison if they try to stop employees from bringing guns to work in their cars. The bill, HB 129 and SB 206, will be introduced in the 2006 legislative year which starts in March. Additional language attempts to allievate businesses concerns by shielding companies from lawsuits should an employee commit a crime with the gun kept in a car on company property. Thus even if a company should know of a threat to coworkers, as long as the gun came from the perpetrators car in the employee lot, they would be immune to civil action. Most of the major employers in Florida have a no-weapons policy.

9/26 Warwick, NY Former Employee, Fired for Child Pornography, Returned to Shoot 3 Supervisors then Self

Victor M. Piazza, 55, returned to his former workplace after he was fired 19 months ago to shoot 3 bosses before killing himself with a .38-caliber revolver. He was a quality control manager at ,Verla International, a nail polish factory when he was fired when they found child pornography on his computer at work. The previous Friday, Mr. Piazza was charged with violating his probation when officers showed up unannounced and found an open bottle of vodka and adult pornographic DVDs in his bedroom. There charges would most likely led to his detention. The two co-owners and other office manager survived but the latter is in very critical condition. "I don't remember anything unusual about him except that his wife was afraid of him," said Orange County Assistant District Attorney Robert Ostrov, who prosecuted the child pornography case. "She didn't want her daughter spending time with him. She thought he was dangerous." May of the employees of Verla also said they were not shocked Piazza was behind the shootings.

9/15 Chattanooga, TN Rent-a-Center Client Attacks When Asked for Back Payments

Gale Ford was a customer of Rent-A-Center and was late on payments. When Jonathan Nash came to collect, she came out of the door, cursing and yelling at him. As he turned to walk back to his truck, she jumped off the porch and shoved him in the back. He kept walking, but then she grabbed a hammer and started running toward him. He said her boyfriend grabbed her just in time before she could hit him with the hammer. She was taken to the County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault.

7/20 Ocean City, MD Hooters Waitress Stabs Other Over Slander

Cecily Tabia Caldwell, 19, was sentenced to seven days in jail for first- and second-degree assault and possession of a deadly weapon with intent to injure when she attacked another young female co-worker at the Hooter’s Restaurant where she worked. At approximately 11 p.m, police responded to the scene where they found Caldwell outside. The victim later admitted saying negative things about Caldwell, who later found out. As a result, Caldwell overreacted and stabbed her several times during an altercation outside of the restaurant.

8/1 St. Paul, MN Clerk Shoots Self by Accident with Gun Bought by Employer for Protection

Nail Mahmoud’ death has been ruled an accidental death as he was shot in the head while working at the Quick Stop gas station. It was determined that while he was handling the firearm, it went off, striking him in the head, after he watch he dropped the gun back in the drawer. There was gun-powder residue on his hand. The family blames the owner of the store who bought the gun after a recent attempted robbery. He allegedly trained his employees on its use and advised not to keep a round in the chamber.

Westchester County, NY Adopts Policy Barring Discrimination against Victims

Recently, the Board of Legislators of Westchester County, NY adopted their human-rights law so that landlords and employers will be forbidden from discriminating against victims of sex abuse, domestic violence and stalking.

“To bring such a claim, a person must have notified the employer or landlord of the situation by producing a police report, restraining order or testimonial from a doctor, minister, counselor or similar professional. Alternatively, the person could argue that he or she had been discriminated against simply based on perception" by filing a complaint with the county Human Rights Commission, which can issue cease-and-desist orders or demand monetary damages.

Please visit to view the article at

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050928/NEWS02/509280374/1018

9/21 Christ Church, Barbados Woman Stabbed to Death at Work

20-year-old Marissa Clarke was stabbed to death at her workplace by an assailant who had threatened her just hours before in the presence of two lawmen. An investigation of the incident and why he was not arrested when he made the threat is being conducted by the Commissioner of Police.

9/13 London, UK Former Security Guard Murders Woman, then Self

Michael Pech, 30, murdered Clare Bernal, 22, at her beauty county at Harvey Nichols, an exclusive department store. He had been a security guard there but was fired for harassing her after their brief dating relationship. Just before 7.45 pm, in breach of a court order preventing contact with his former girlfriend, Pech calmly walked into the store and began talking to Bernal across the counter. He then went behind the counter and shot her, killing her and then himself. In the following week Pech was due to be sentenced for harassing Ms Bernal and could have faced up to six months in jail. He had previous stated “If I can’t have you nobody will.”

9/12 Vallejo, CA Man Runs Over Wife

Alfred Digiandomenico, 38 allegedly ran over his wife 44-year-old Dianna Digiandomenico as they were removing a portable office trailer from the El Toro Fire Station at about 5:53 p.m. When the police arrived, she was lying in the cab of a pickup truck, where her husband put her after she fell out of the bed of truck and he ran her over with the rear wheels. Witnesses state that the couple were having an argument when the husband pulled out of the area in a cloud of dust, and that the wife, who had been sitting on the driver's side bed rail, fell off. As he apparently made a sharp U-turn, he ran over her legs and lower body as she lay on the road. The couple operated a transportation and hauling business. He is being held on an unrelated parole violation.

7/11 Sheldon, VT Sniper Kills Man on Tractor

33-year-old Kenneth "Kenny" Jerome was murdered by a sniper who shot him with a .22 while he was working on the Diamond Hill Custom Heifers farm. He lived and worked there with his girlfriend Jennifer Miller. Miller had been supporting the investigation that led to the conviction of her former husband, 36-year-old Dennis Harrness on charges of arson. Harness and his brother, Tommy, had allegedly been stalking and harassing Miller before and since the trial. While suspected by many in the community, neither have been charged yet.

AU Study Shows Prevalence of Violence against Women at Work

A new report by The Office of Women's Policy of the Victorian State in Australia suggests that violence against women at work is widespread and common. The study is called Safe at Work? Women's Experience of Violence in the Workplace and shows that 61 per cent of Victorian women have experienced violence in the workplace in the past five years. The report, which surveyed 1000 women, also showed that only 59 per cent of these women reported incidents to their employers. But there is an impact; more than 11 per cent of respondents took sick leave to deal with the problem while another 3.5 per cent were making WorkCover claims (similar to USA’s Workers Compensation). The office is accepting submission on what can be done to address this issue till November 11.

NHS (UK) Joins the Corporate Alliance against Domestic Violence

The National Health Service (NHS) has joined other organizations such as the Body Shop International, BBC, AOL Time Warner, KPMG and Vodafone to join the Corporate Alliance against Domestic Violence. The NHS is the largest employer in Europe. This association, comprised of more than two million UK workers, takes a stand against domestic violence that impacts their workplace and their employees’ lives. As part of its campaign, NHS Employers has published on-line guidance for employers and employees who know or may be victims of domestic violence.

9/2 Sagamihara, Japan Bar Patron Stalks then Slashes Waitress

Koji Nojima, 40, an unemployed man, was arrested for attempting to murder a waitress of a local bar. At around 9:53 p.m., the 33-year-old woman had just arrived at the bar when Nojima ambushed her, pushing her down and slashing her neck with a knife. Eyewitnesses alerted the police who arrested Nojima at the scene. The victim suffered slight slash wounds.
Nojima began drinking at the bar last year. After she rejected his advances, he continued to stalked her and sending e-mails to her mobile phone. Last March, the woman consulted local police over his stalking behavior. The police then instructed Nojima in May to leave the woman alone which stopped the visits to the bar and e-mails.

AU Hospital Fined $100,000 for Assault on Nurse

Hunter New England Health was fined more than $100,000 for violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act over an incident at its Morisset Psychiatric Hospital in 2001. A nurse was working alone in the hospital's courtyard when he was assaulted, requiring hospital treatment for his injuries resulting in a total of 17 days off work. The Act, similar to the USA OSHA general duty clause, requires employers to provide safe workplace for their employees. In addition to the fine, the Industrial Relations Commission directed the health service to pay the legal costs of the prosecutor.

Michigan Post Office Investigation Reports Hostile Work Environment

Royal Oaks Post Office was under investigation for allegations that management is creating a hostile work environment. This was the scene of the November 1991 tragedy when fired postal employee Thomas McIlvane — the target of harassing disciplinary actions —killed four workers, wounded four others and then committed suicide. After Sen. Carl Levin forwarded a petition signed by 200 longtime Royal Oak and Madison Heights workers expressing fear that an incident may repeat if something wasn't done, an investigation was commenced.
A survey in the report stated that the overwhelming majority of individuals perceive the climate in Royal Oak as highly charged, borderline hostile, tense and pressure filled. The report went on to summarize that: "... the workplace climate at Royal Oak, while not as bad as in 1991, was deteriorating. Discipline was overused, creating fear and intimidation among the employees. Communications between management and the union and the employees is poor. Limited and light duty employees have been targeted for excessive discipline in an attempt to intimidate. The safety program is not cooperative and positive but negative, and focuses on discipline to get results. Some of the union stewards and some of the employees are not interested in any change and use the tragedy of 1991 as a reason to be uncooperative."
Among the recommendations, it stated that the post master general should learn to how to handle employees more humanely while union leaders not be so adversarial. The friction between employees, management and union leaders has been recognized as a root factor in previous postal shootings.

8/22 Orfordville, WI Man Confronts Supervisor with Shotgun

Curtis P. Clint, 36, was charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide after he confronted a supervisor in the break room with a loaded shotgun. The supervisor grabbed the barrel while 3 other workers restrained and disarmed Clint. The shotgun muzzle had been outfitted with a plastic milk jug in what police think was a makeshift silencer. No shots were fired. Immediately after the incident, Clint told two fellow employees that he had trouble with the supervisor and was "going to end it." Clint was being evaluated to see if his mental state is a possible defense.

8/20 Allentown, PA Women Murdered by Man after Trying to Get Rid of Firearms

Kelvin C. Courtright, 42, murdered Erin A. Young, 28, outside her workplace near Allentown's Queen City Airport. If was just before 8 a.m. when she arrived at SHI-APD Cryogenics. As she pulled into the parking space, she allegedly saw Courtright approach her with a gun. She called her friend and told her to call the police. When they arrived, she was found dead in her car.
The tragedy is even greater since it was only 8 days ago when officers responded to a disturbance call at her home. She stated that she was going to sell his two 9 mm handguns and wanted him out of her home as he was not paying his share of the bills. He had moved in 6 months earlier. The officers took the guns that night but had to release them back to him the next day when he provided proof of ownership. It is unknown if he used these weapons to kill her. Courtright had a criminal history including 3 previous protection order from other women. He was fired from his position as a corrections officer last year for fighting with another guard. He was also sued for harassing former female inmates.

8/12 Loyalhanna PA Wife of Man on Strike Threatens Temporary Workers

Lori Jo Gross was the wife of man who was on strike at Aero Diecasting. She allegedly followed three temporary workers who crossed the picket line from the plant till they stopped at an intersection. She then pointed a .380-caliber pistol at them and called them "scabs," police said the men told them. By tracking the liscence plate number, they found her and the pistol.

8/10 Cleveland, OH Ex-Employee Returns to Ram Cars in Company Lot with SUV

Anthony Harris, 45, was arrested after he assaulted co-workers and damaged property at the business he was just fired from earlier in the day. On an early Wednesday morning, he returned to Alkon Industries and attacked former co-workers. He then climbed into a Ford Excursion and rammed 17 vehicles in the company parking lot. He fled after hitting a man in the face with a rock and pushing another car off the road. He was later arrested in a nearby home.

Man charged with blackmail, kidnapping and assault

Jeffrey Lane Hallock was arrested Monday and charged with blackmail, kidnapping and assaulting his ex-wife. His ex-wife told police that when she visited him at work he began questioning her about a new relationship. When she tried to leave the building, he grabbed her by the hair, locked the door, and bit her on the mouth. He also threatened to email pictures of her naked to her co-workers.

NRA Launches Campaign to Boycott ConocoPhillips

The NRA pushed a law through Oklahoma to preventing employers from prohibiting firearms on their property. It also allows employees to sue their employers for putting such rules in place. Since ConocoPhillips has joined a federal lawsuit to repeal the law, the NRA has launched a boycott campaign againt the gasolien service station.
Please review the previous post on a study of the increased risk of homicide in workplaces that allow firearms in April's newsletter.

8/2 Kalihi, HI Man Hits, Stabs then Shoots Co-worker with Slingshot

A man allegedly stabbed a co-worker with a pair of scissors Tuesday as part of a series of attacks on the victim.
A 28 year old suspect got into an argument with his 24-year-old victim at about 2:45 p.m. It escalated till the suspect allegedly punched and the stabbed the victim in the face with a pair of scissors. other co-workers restrained the suspect till he was able to flee. He then later returned and shot the victim with a slingshot. He was arrested and released pending the trial.

7/28 Fresno, CA Would-be Serial Killer Thwarted by Victim’s Resistance

Will Calcote, 21, crashed his vehicle and died while being pursued by California Highway Patrol officers. He had attempted to kidnap a 19-year-old waitress at a restaurant that he frequently visited. He waited till her shift ended at 11 pm and offered an opportunity in obtaining a modeling job. He asked her to come back to his placed to sign some papers. But once in the car, he turned violent, repeatedly using a tazer on her and threatening to kill her. The victim fought back and eventually jumped from the car while it was going at approximately 35 mph. Calcote stopped the car but as other vehicles stopped to assist he sped off. A witness came to help her and call law enforcement was notified. He was then later spotted and the chase ensued. In Calcote’s trunk, officers discovered a chilling array of tools: a video camera, ropes, duct tape, handcuffs, knives, a large ax, heavy-duty rubber gloves and large plastic garbage bags. A search of Calcote’s Fresno apartment turned up books and videos about famous serial killers, including a how-to for serial killing; it is unknown if he had previous victims.

7/27 Richland, WI Co-Worker Kills Other, then Turns Himself In

Reuben A. Wipf, 21, was charged with the murder of Robert Hege, 19, which occurred at their job at A-1 Pallet. Alledgly, Wipf and Hege did not get along and after a meeting to discuss their problems, Wipf quit and walked out. He went to his home, retreived his shotgun and returned to kill Hege. Wipf then drove to the sheriff’s department and turn himself in. In a statement to authorities, Wipf stated that “the devil made him do it”.

7/28 Bartlesville, OK Co-Worker Escorting Victim Employee Run Down by Abuser

Joel Don Harmon, 30, was charged with allegedly running down another man with his car. While this incident did not happen at work, it stemmed from a co-worker trying to help another. Harmon went to his girlfriend’s workplace at 12:30 a.m and began screaming at her. He was then escorted by security from the facility. But when it was time for the woman to go home, a co-worker offered to follow her home to ensure her safety. It was there that Harmon confronted her again in the driveway. She demanded that he leave which he did. The co-worker escort was standing in the driveway when Harmon struck him as he drove out. Harmon waited at the scene a few blocks down till police arrived: he claimed that the man struck his windshield, breaking it with his hand. Responding officers felt that this was unlikely.

Woman Accused of Arranging Assault on Husband

Woman Accused of Arranging Assault on Husband

Tomah, Wis.

Kathleen “Kitty” Steckel, 51, of Stevens Point, Wis. is accused of hiring a man to take a baseball bat to her estranged husband, who she lured out of his workplace for the attack. Steckel offered a man she met at an after-bar party Sunday night $500 to “send a message to her husband.” After the party Eteckel and Eric C. Carlson stopped at a Wal-Mart in Tomah, where Carlson said, “Kitty picked out the baseball bat.”
The husband said he received a surprise call from his wife Monday morning at Americold’s Essex Avenue warehouse, where he works. He came outside and was walking toward Steckel’s car when he heard a noise behind him, and turned to see Carlson swinging a bat at his head. He defended himself with his left arm, which was seriously injured and broken.
Carlson told police he and Steckel first met Sunday night, and she told him her husband had physically and verbally abused her. She didn’t want him dead but “in pain.” After leaving Tomah, the pair threw the bat out the window and left town. Carlson said Steckle only gave him $5.

Bullying in Law Profession

Bullying is Not Uncommon in the Law Profession

Several recent surveys have suggested that bullying is rife throughout the profession of law- with around thirty percent of all lawyers experiencing bullying.
Mahlab’s annual survey found that nearly one quarter of private practice lawyers surveyed said they had been the subject of bullying behavior, including intimidation, shouting, persistent and unjustified criticism. Nearly seventy percent experienced humiliation through sarcasm, criticism or insulting.
A 2003 NSW Law Society survey of 1800 lawyers, in which 54.2 percent of respondents reported being bullied or intimidated, with 32.9 percent of them women. Those new to the job or in a low-status position were likely to be victims of bullying.
In an effort to find out whether bullying was systemic in law firms, the Law Institute of Victoria conducted a survey of 265 clerks that found 47 per cent had suffered some form of harassment, bullying or intimidation at work. Almost a quarter of respondents reported discrimination in the workplace and 23 per cent said they had received negative or unfair comments about them or their work. Seven per cent said they had experienced physical intimidation or assault.
The problem can be hard to address within firms because the bullies are often high performing, high-billing lawyers who justify their behavior as a result of working in a robust environment. However, the profession is starting to take notice. At the Law Society Council, possible penalties for bullying were raised recently, to include removing practicing certificated in severe cases. An education campaign began last year with the statewide distribution of CD-ROM that defined bullying behavior. In September last year, a Melbourne solicitor had his practicing certificate cancelled and was fined $16,500 for misconduct that included bullying his articled clerk.

Everett: Man held on $2 million bail in connection with death of former roomate

An Everett man is held for investigation of murder in death of former roommate

Arturo Galindo Garcia, 29, was arrested Thursday shortly after police found the body of Euginio Renteria, 27, outside Cascadia Pointe Apartments in the 8100 block of Fifth Avenue W. Galindo Garcia told witnesses that he was fed up with the victim teasing him, according to court document, and he also complained about the teasing to a supervisor.
The two men worked together at National Foods in Everett and they also used to live together at the apartment complex. Renteria and another man walked out of the apartment, and Galindo Garcia followed, according to an affidavit filed in court. A witness told police that Galindo Garcia pulled a semiautomatic handgun from his pants pocket and shot Renteria once, according to court documents.

July 1 Waterfall, CT Karate Instructor Stabbed to Death by Boyfriend

Thomas C. Wood is charged with the murder of Sierra Giorgi whom he had met at Gabriele's Karate Kickbox Studio where she worked as a karate instructor. After dating for a short while, Giorgi wanted to end the relationship as she was afraid and suspicious of Wood. She even told her friends about her concerns about Wood in case something happened to her. After going out to dinner with a co-worker after work, she was later found stabbed to death in her car which was parked right outside the studio. Wood has been convicted before on stabbing a 67 year old man in 1990.

CLARIFICATION: 9/13/05
The perpetrator was not an employee of the studio and I am uncertain if he was a student. The unnamed co-worker with whom she had dinner with earlier in the night was not involved with this tragedy. While blog is about workplace violence, the definition includes violence from clients, intimate partners and even strangers. Workplace violence is violence that occurs in the workplace or vicinity.
I cannot express the sorrow and senselessness of this terrible loss. I only hope that by increasing awareness, future crimes can be prevented.

July 19th Baltimore, MD Worker Returns 2 Months after Fired at Manufacturing Plant

Levi A. White arrived at the H.R. Nicholson Co. plant at approximately 7:40 PM two months after was fired for allegedly sabotaging a $400,000 piece of equipment. He entered with a shotgun and asked for his former supervisor, Dennis Wilson. He shot Wilson at close range and then went outside, sitting in her car and waiting for arriving officers. After being ordered to drop his weapon, he pointed the shotgun at officers who shot him multiple times. White later died at the hospital. Records show that he was recently charged with smashing Wilson’s windshield with a brick and is suspected with spray painting the same car several weeks ago. In April, Wilson had caught White with wire cutters after a $400,000 piece of equipment was sabotaged, resulting in White’s dismissal.

Lockheed Lawsuit Denied- Appeals Court Rules it is a Workers Comp Case

A federal appeals court has denied the plaintiffs in a workplace violence lawsuit the right to sue the company where the tragedy occurred. On July 8th, 2003, Doug Williams killed six co-workers and injured nine others before committing suicide at the Lockheed Martin plant in Meridian, Mississippi.
One of the victim’s family members claimed that Williams was "known to harbor extreme racial hatred toward his African-American co-workers." Four of those murdered were African-American and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigated the shooting and said Williams created a "racially charged atmosphere" at the plant. The plaintiff’s, the surviving shooting victims and their families, claim that management knew Williams was a threat but did little to prevent the violence.
However, the higher court ruled that the exclusivity bar of workers' compensation law prohibits a lawsuit. Workers Compensation is generally ruled as the sole remedy for any injuries that employees experience “in the course of employment" and “that arise out of employment”. It limits damage to $150,000 per victim. The lawsuit sought unspecified damages. It is unknown if the plaintiff's will appeal to a higher court.

Husband accused of offering $20,000 for wife's rape and murder

July 14, 2005

A Massachusetts man tried to hire a hit man to rape and murder his wife in an effort to ensure he’d win a custody dispute. Ira Bloom, 46, or Springfield, Mass., wanted his wife abducted on her way to work and raped “over a period of days,” according to an affidavit. The affidavit describes a meticulously planned plot in which Bloom allegedly outlined when his wife arrives at work, where she parks and which days she does not have custody of their child. He allegedly insisted she be killed before August 12- the next court date in their custody dispute. Bloom allegedly provided his wife’s work address and a description of her car. Investigators said he promised to pay within 90 days, once he collected on his wife’s insurance policy. It is not the first time Bloom threatened to kill his wife, investigators said. He was under a restraining order until July 5 for “allegations of death threat.”

This article originally appeared at:
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--murderforhire0714jul13,0,3604658.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut

July 14 Elmwood, LA Man kills wife, self, and 1 other

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Barbara Cavalier’s husband Chris Cavalier had been abusive towards her throughout their seven year marriage. Barbara decided to leave the relationship in January when Chris put a gun to her head. For six months Chris had no idea where she was living, and presumably had no face-to-face contact with her until he walked into the Elmwood siding supply business where Barbara was a data entry clerk, armed with 2 guns: a .45 caliber automatic pistol and a .357-caliber Magnum revolver. Authorities say Chris shot and killed his wife and another employee then took his own life. The other employee Chris murdered first was office manager Stephanie Revolta, 42, a friend of Barbara’s who stayed in the building to try and defuse the situation. Revolta made the first 911 call to authorities around 3:30 pm, but by the time a hostage negotiator arrived and members of the Sheriff’s Office SWAT team rushed the building, all three were dead.
Coworkers said Chris Cavalier had been harassing his wife all day, repeatedly calling and even stealing her truck. Barbara was reported to be afraid to go home Wednesday evening, fearing her estranged husband might find out where she was now living. After the couple’s split 6 months ago, Chris began to harass his wife at work, constantly calling her during the day. Doris Deckwa said she suspects he shot Revolta because she had hung up on him when he called Wednesday. When authorities searched Chris’s house they found a note assigning power of attorney and listing some valuables that Chris wanted to give away. This note lead authorities to believe that Chris knew the day would end in bloodshed when he left his house Wednesday.

Alabama: Bomb Threat to Day Care Center

Opelika, Ala. June 17, 2005

An Opelika, Alabama, woman was charged with calling in a bomb threat to the day care center where she worked. Jessica Kay Thornton, 20, apparently used her cell phone while at work to call in the bomb threat to Miss Deanna’s Daycare. Thornton is reportedly to have said, “There’s a bomb in your building” before hanging up the phone. All children and employees were evacuated from the day care center while firefighters searched the building. Thornton’s motive for calling in the threat is unclear.

Maryland: Ex-BGE employee returns to workplace firing gun shots

Miller, a 46-year-old, ex-Baltimore Gas and Electric Co, who worked with the company for 28 years returned to his place of employment and fired gun shots at the building. On Thursday afternoon around 5:30 p.m. Miller drove around to the back of the building where his supervisor Doreen Hartley, 40, has an office with a window. The supervisor saw him get out of a car with a weapon and ran for safety, and warned others. Miller fired shots through Hartley’s office window, and then shot his way inside the building. The shooter was found dead in the office from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the upper body. No one else was seriously injured, and the office appeared closed the following day.

June 1st Ashland, WVA Man Kills Ex-Wife then Self Outside of Beauty Salon

Donald Price,49, murdered his ex-wife, 40, at approximately 8:15 a.m. just outside of her workplace at the Studio 21 Salon. He used a .45 caliber pistol and then turned the gun on himself. While they were an estranged couple, he used to work at the same salon in the past. Donald Price had rented a car and waited in the parking lot till she arrived. Witnesses state that they saw the couple fighting before the assault took place. Kimberly Price had filed for divorce in December 2004. A final hearing in the matter was scheduled for next month.

July 6th Mableton, GE Man Kills Ex-Girlfriend, Caught Following Day

Xavier Keith Snelson, 25, was arrested for the murder of Natilya Smith, 25 at her workplace, a Cobb County MSC Industrial Supply firm. The assault occurred after 10 p.m. after which he fled in a gold Chevrolet pickup truck. He was caught the following day while driving a truck south on Interstate 85 in LaGrange. The couple, separated last October, had three children together.

UK Survey Indicates Rapid Rise in Assaults on Government Workers

A City & Guilds survey of 2,058 workers indicates a rise in violence against public sector employees. 37% have been verbally abused while at work; 16% have been threatened and 7% have been physically abused by a member of the public. 64% of those questioned believing that incidents of abuse have escalated over the last two years.
The professions were these incidents occur are ranked: passenger transport (27%) hospitality or leisure (25%), security and policing (21%), healthcare/pharmacy (18%), civil service (14%), law (14%), care, health and community (12%), local government (11%) and local authority (11%).
What is unique about the survey is that they also queried the perpetrators of the harassment. The most common age group was the 25-34 year olds and 33% of them have admitted losing their temper with a call centre worker, a shop worker or a bus driver. Of all of those that admitted committing such acts, 14% don't regret their behavior.

Legislation in Maine Looks to Address Violence Against Nurses

The state of Maine is taking health care worker’s safety seriously in a newly proposed bill. State Sen. Jarrett Barrios, a Cambridge Democrat, is introducing a bill that will require a range of safety measures. Namely, health-care providers of five or more employees create employee training programs and a system for reporting and monitoring incidents of violence. Providers would also have to create a written violence-prevention plan that describes factors that would put employees at risk of violence and what methods the facility would take to prevent the violence, such as use of security, equipment, staffing and employee training.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), a primary motivator of the legislation, cited figures from the state Bureau of Labor Statistics in which more than 4,000 hospital employees were assaulted last year while working in emergency setting across the state. Additional studies from hen researchers from the MNA and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst polled 172 nurses at three hospitals this year, more than 30 percent said they were physically threatened over the last two years and 25 percent said they'd been pinched, scratched, spit on or their hands or wrists were twisted on the job. Fifty percent reported being punched at least once; seven said people have tried to strangle them in the past two years; eight said they were sexually assaulted, and two were intentionally stuck with contaminated needles.

Conviction for DV Assault at Maine Camp in July 2004

Willie Alston, 34 was sentenced up to 12 years in state prison on convictions for burglary in the first and second degrees, aggravated criminal contempt, and criminal contempt in the first degree. On July 3, 2004, Alston assaulted his estranged wife at her place of employment, Camp Venture. He broke into a residence and assaulted the woman, pushing her down a flight of stairs. She fled to another residence for her safety, but Alston broke into that place through the window and there he continued to assault her.

Virginia Tech Weighs Weapons Policy on Campus

Alexandria, Virginia Virginia Tech officials have asked the university's governing board to endorse a policy that threatens to arrest anyone who refuses to disarm or leave campus. However, visitors with concealed weapons permits could still bring guns onto campus, but not into the facilities. Earlier this spring, Tech came under heavy criticism from gun owners' rights groups for disciplining a student who carried a concealed handgun to class. The proposed policy included language prohibiting everyone except law enforcement from "carrying, maintaining or storing a firearm or weapon on any university facility, even if the owner has a valid permit."

June 14 Shreveport, LA Robber Beaten by Beauty School Students

Jared Gipson, 24, entered the Blalock’s Beauty College and told the women there to lie down on the floor. After collecting their money, Gipson ran toward the front door when manager Dianne Mitchell tripped him. The robber dropped his gun and Abram Bishop, a male employee at the college, jumped on his back, pinning him down. The students, arming themselves with curling irons, chairs and a wooden table leg, assaulted Gipson to point where he needed medical attention. The gun, police learned later, was not loaded.
NOTE: While this case has a positive outcome, it is dangerous to resist a robbery or to prevent a robber from leaving, especially if they have a firearm. Just let them take the money and leave. It is simply just not worth your life.

June 16 Savoy TX Man Kills Ex-wife and her Co-Worker and Self

David Wilhelm entered EPAC, a plastics plant, and shot his estranged wife and a male co-worker to death before shooting himself with a 9 mm handgun. The victims were in the break room of small company when he found Andrea Wilhelm, 40, of Bonham, and co-worker Felipe de Leon, 37, and murdered them early in the morning. Mrs. Wilhelm received three shots, one to her head, one to her chest, and the third to an arm. Mr. DeLeon-Muniz died from one gunshot wound. The Wilhelm’s were divorcing and Mrs. Wilhelm had filed a protection order against her estranged husband several weeks ago, alleging that he was stalking her.

June 17 Towson, MD Woman Saved by By-Standers from Ex-boyfriend

Jeffrey Ricardo Jones Jr., 25, attempted to murder his estranged girlfriend, Lesley G. Dunlap, 24 but was rescued by a 62-year-old lawyer who played football for the University of Maryland. Jones, who had been convicted in a 2002 assault on Dunlap, had protective order against him last month after alleging that he threatened her with a knife at her office at the law firm Venable LLP. On this last occasion, Dunlap had pulled into the parking lot at the where she works as a receptionist and assistant librarian when Jones pulled in behind her and blocked her car with his Chevrolet Tahoe sport utility vehicle. He then smashed her window with a hammer, pulled her out of her car and forced her into his SUV. When they were stopped due to traffic, she jumped out. Jones chased her down and began stabbing her with a knife. That is when John J. Kenny intervened and called to another by-stander to help. Jones escaped but was later apprehended by police.

March 28th Nottingham, UK Healthcare Worker Kills Himself Over Despair from Work

Ken Wilson worked as an operating theatre practitioner at Queen’s Medical Centre where he encountered the frequent tragedy of young people dying from violence. His wife believes that he killed himself due to the despair at the loss of young people from violent crime, car crashes and illness. The father of two teenagers was found dead in a staff living quarters. On a notepad found in his bag he had written: “I’m not mad, just very tired and depressed.” He took his own life by taking an overdose of anesthetics and muscle relaxant drugs used in the operating room.

May 31 Henderson, TX Two Men Kill Co-Worker

Delfino Martinez, 35 and Noel Guevera Martinez, 30, are both suspects in the murder of Juan Carlos Garza, 20, during a dinner break at Townley Lumber Co. The incident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. when the two suspects reportedly returned from a parking lot and fired at co-worker Garza with a 9-millimeter handgun. Garza was shot twice in the head. Brown said both suspects are believed to have participated in the shooting, which occurred All three were working the night shift at the mill and the shooting was allegedly the result of an argument that began over the weekend.

June 9th Trenton, OH Former Employee Rams Supervisor's Car at Train Crossing

Workplace violence does not always happen at work. James Martin was charged with felonious asault and vandalism when he rammed his former supervisor, Harold Smith and then threatened him with a bat. Martin used to work at the Blankenship Masonry when he quit a few weeks ago. Recently, he contacted Smith to be re-hired but was denied. It was several days later when Smith was waiting in his car while a train was crossing when Martin made his assault. Several witnesses also waiting in the car came to assist as Martin held Smith by the throat and threatened to kill him. Arriving officers later found Martin at a near by gas station, talking on a payphone. He then turned himself in.

June 4th Wiggins, MS Nurse Shot by Husband at Community Home

Sandra Whigham, a nurse at the Wiggins Community Home, was shot by her husband just an hour after she had sought protection from local law enforcement. Arthur E. Whigham, 50, had rushed into the assisted living facility for adults and shot his wife with a .22 firearm before fleeing. He was confronted by responding officers and fled, throwing his weapon away which was later recovered.
The day before, they had an altercation which led Sandra to go to the sheriff's office to file a complaint on the day of the shooting. However, her husband met her there at the department and the officers convinced them to have a "cooling off" period. She went on to work while he was suppose to go home to pack a bag. It was an hour later that he showed up at her work and shot her in front of numerous co-workers. She was treated for her injuries and released the next day.

June 7th South Africa Real Estate Agent Killed by Co-Worker Ex-Boyfriend

Verdie Pearson, the sister of the founding owners of the RE/MAX Address Estate Agency in Kloof was killed by her estranged boyfriend. Farf Grubb. It was around 11 a.m. when he came into her office. According to witnesses, they talked for awhile till they heard gunshots. Grubb, 63, had shot Pearson twice in the chest and then killed himself with what is thought to be a .357 magnum handgun. They had a relationship for about 10 years but Pearson had reportedly just broken up with him.

Time for Anger Management

According to specialist Linda Wasmer Andrews, anger management options are gaining steam in he workplace. After popculture latched on to the idea in movies like "Anger Management," employers and employees a like are beginning to understand and appreciate the value of keeping a lid on hostility at work. "Anger is undoubtedly a factor in some of the 1.7 million violent victimizations (mostly assaults) that Americans experience while working each year. (This includes incidents involving customers, clients, students and other nonemployees.) Employers that don't address potential problems could pay a heavy price." Making the situation even more pertinent to the ever cost conscious employer is the bill associated with violent disruptions in the workplace. "If an employer ignores warning signs leading up to a violent incident, it could be held legally liable. But even if the company has done things right, the cost of defending itself averages $700,000," Anderson says. Clearly, it's in a company's best interest to deal with hostile employees before they become violent perpetrators."

When It’s Time For Anger Management:
Training can help all employees—not just
the worksite hothead—deal
productively with emotions.

By Linda Wasmer Andrews

Oregon Passes Bill to Allow DV Victims to Obtain Unemployment Insurance

Oregon Legislature passed a bill allowing domestic violence victims to obtain unemployment benefits more easily. House Bill 2662, sponsored by Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene won unanimous approval by the Senate, following House approval last month. The bill would ensure that abuse victims could obtain unemployment insurance if they must leave work in order to protect their health, safety or welfare or that of their children. They would have to make their case to the Employment Department, the Employment Appeals Board or administrative law judges. The bill has the backing of the Oregon Alliance to End Violence Against Women and an advisory council to the state Employment Department, made up of representatives from workers and employers. Gov. Ted Kulongoski is expected to sign the bill into law.

Ex-Employee Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder Charge Australia

Joan Mary Walsh plead guilty to attempted murder charges when she stabbed security guard Karen Emmerzael at the Commonwealth Bank processing center, in West Melbourne, on December 27, 2004. The 46-year-old mother of three, had previously worked at the center in a data entry position but left some time in 2000 after suffering depression after the death of her eldest son in a car accident. The day of the assault, Walsh told the security guard her car had broken down, asked to use a phone and went to the toilet. She then returned with a long kitchen knife and started stabbing the 28-year-old security guard before she was able to escape. According to the prosecution, there was no obvious motive and very little explanation for the "vicious" and "unprovoked" attack. Walsh had reportedly wrote a letter of apology to the security guard, stating that "anger and hatred had built up inside me" and that she was lonely and missing her son.

Illinios Nurses Provided with a Safe Workplace

Over the past few months there have several attacks on health care workers by patients. Subsequently, bill HB 339 has been passed in both houses in Illinios. The Illinois Nurses Association proactively campaigned and lobbied on behalf of the nurses' rights to a reasonably safe and secure work place. "This bill is the first step in providing the necessary training and safeguards for assuring the safety of patients, visitors and health care employees within healthcare settings," says Debbi Reed, RN, INA's Assistant Program Director.

HB 399 calls for the Illinois Department of Health Services and Illinois Department of Public Health to implement the Healthcare Setting Violence Prevention Act initially as a two- year pilot project in which five facilities will participate.
The bill requires violence prevention training, more extensive record keeping, and a task force led by the Governor.

May 9 San Fransico, CA Ex-Social Worker Returns to Kill Former Colleague

Gregory Gray, 54, fatally shot Bruce Franks, a 49, at the Conard Community Service Center. He is also accused of assaulting senior case manager Kalifa Coulibaly, who police said tried to wrestle the weapon out of Gray's hands. Gray was fired from his job at the center back in September. On a Monday morning, we walked in just before 9 a.m. carrying a handgun, a shotgun and a hatchet and shot Franks in the chest and back. Homicide inspectors and Conard employees reportedly state that Franks, who did not supervise Gray, was not the intended target.
As Gray was wrestled to the ground by workers, a homeless man and client of the agency, picked up the dropped shotgun and ran away with it. Responding officers had to apprehend the thief while workers restrained Gray.

The Extent and Cost of Bullying in the Workplace

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health released a study last year that showed 24.5 percent of the 516 companies surveyed reported that bullying behavior had occurred there during the preceding year. And who was the aggressor? Of these incidents, 39.2 percent identified an employee, 24.5 percent a customer and 14.7 percent a supervisor. While the cost to morale and turn-over may be difficult to gauge, the civil liability may be more easy to identify. In March, an Indiana surgeon was ordered to pay a former hospital employee $325,000 in lost wages after a 2001 incident in which the doctor screamed and lunged at the worker.

NY County Considers Anti-Discrimination Bill for Abuse Victims

In Westchester County, the Board of Legislators is considering a bill that would add victims of abuse to the list of those already protected by the county's human rights law. It would effectively add the status of victims of abuse to the protected classes of race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation and marital status and would ban discrimination in housing and employment.
Cited in the argument is a statistic from the Society for Human Resource Management showing that nearly four in 10 assaults on the job in the United States are committed by a spouse or partner. Another study shows the impact of abuse on the bottom line.

Ireland Takes Violence Against HealthCare Staff Seriously

National Hospitals Office of the Health Service Executive of Ireland has ordered hospitals to take immediate action to deal with violence and aggression against staff. Director Pat Mc Loughlin has issued guidelines on this issue to be implemented immediately. Recent investigations have discovered violence and aggression to be one of the main risks in emergency departments. The main hazards surround patients dealing with substance abuse issues. Among the measures suggested are security guards in the units at weekends, a new criminal offence where people engage in abusive or threatening behavior and a doubling of the visiting charge people attending who are simply drunk and not genuinely ill.

May 5 Houston, TX Attorney Kills Another in Office

Jackie Lee Duke, 52, was a contract attorney working for Cooper Cameron. At about 8:40 a.m., Duke was meeting with Michael Paul Hartmann, 54, the in-house attorney and Duke’s alleged supervisor. Both of them worked on patent related legal issues for the oil services company for the past several years. It was reported that Duke was being let go but it must not have been a surprise to him. He had left a suicide note at home and brought with him that morning two weapons, a .357-caliber revolver and a semiautomatic handgun. In a soft-sided briefcase, the gunman had also brought more ammunition. Duke shot and killed Hartmann and then committed suicide. Both shots were to the head.

May 6 Franconia Township, PA Two Employees Accidently Shot when a Third Shows his Gun in Parking Lot

Two employees were injured and a third was in police custody after a handgun discharged twice while the men were looking at it. It was between noon and 1 p.m. when the three men had left their shift at the Moyer Packing Company. The went to one of the men’s cars so that he could show them his Ruger 9mm handgun. The gun went off twice and two of the men were injured. There is no suspicion that the act was intentional and noon of the injuries were life threatening.

This emphasizes the danger of weapons on company property, which includes the parking lot. Please not the early posting about increased homicide rates in workplaces that allow guns.

May 6 Chatham, GA Home Depot Employee Shoots Man who Chased him to Work

In a rare instance of workplace violence, a in the leg Friday night at the chain store's southeast distribution center in Chatham County. According to witnesses, the assailant chased the victim through the parking lot, shooting as he ran. As reported, Sean Pajotte , 35, was an employee of Home Deport and had been in an argument with ShaKim Brash, 38. Brash had threatened Pajotte and followed him to the company parking lot. That is when Pajotte pulled out his weapon and shot at Brash. However, police report that Brash was the aggressor and a weapon was allegedly found in his car.

May 3 Santa Ana, CA Woman Kidnapped from Work, Assailant Killed

A 23 year old woman was kidnapped from her workplace just before midnight. The family of the victim paid $1,200 in ransom to the perpetrator but he fled with the victim in his getaway car. The family had received the call demanding the ransom at which they contact law enforcement. The perpetrator went to their home where officers were waiting. When he arrived in the victim’s car to collect the money, he fled with the victim still inside. The police stopped the car which crashed into a parked pick up. The assailant was then shot and killed by the responding officers. The victim and the kidnapper have not been identified.

April 29th Newport News, VA Man Shoots Ex-Wife then Flees

Thomas Wayne Caudle, 39, walked into Dominion Physical Therapy around 4 p.m. and started arguing with this estranged wife in her office. It then that he drew a pistols and started to shoot her, hitting her several times in the lower body and legs. A co-worker called the police as Caudle fled. He took off in a blue Plymouth Voyager which was found about a mile away in a company parking lot. A blood hound and German Shepard soon tracked him where he was hiding in a drain ditch which was waist deep in water. The victim was taken to an area hospital where her wounds were not considered life threatening.

Workplaces that Allow Guns at Work More Likely to Have Homicide Occur

A new study from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicates that workplace murders are three times more likely to occur at jobs that permit employees to carry weapons than in places that prohibit all weapons and that risk is double if guns are involved. Dana Loomis, a professor of epidemiology and member of the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center published in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health a study that looks at 87 cases where employees were killed at work sites in North Carolina between 1994 and 1998 with 177 comparable work sites where there were no murders. In places that allow firearms and other weapons, there is a 7 fold increase in the risk of an on-the-job murder. Similar to residential studies, this obviously shows that there is a greater risk for homicide in workplaces that allow guns to be carried.
This study has deep significance for recent state legislation such as in Virginia where it is legal to have a firearm on school property in the parking lot and in Okalahoma and Ohio where there is legislation to allow employees to have guns in their cars at work.

April 14th Detroit, MI Former Employee Shot by Stranger In Lobby of TV Station

A former employee comes to the workplace and a shooting occurs. But this incident has unique twist. John Owens, 53, was visiting the lobby of a TV station WDIV-TV when he was shot by a man who had apparently been harassing and assaulting company employees for the past year. At approximately 4:15 p.m., Owens was there to pick up a video tape when a unidentified man entered the lobby but was not given admittance to the building since the receptionist recognized him as someone who they have had problems with before. The man then shot Owens and fled. Authorities later apprehended a suspect. A spokesman of the station stated that although they regret that a former employee was hurt, the security systems that they had in place did their job. The suspect obviously came to the station to inflict harm but was identified (and recorded) on the CCTV system and not buzzed in to the building. In a American Society of Employers survey of 245 Detroit-area companies, 61 percent said they had a workplace violence policy in place in 2004, up from 41 percent in 2000.

April 22nd Jackson, MI Man Shoots Co-Worker of Missing Tools Dispute

Eddie Mitchell, 51, alledgley murdered Clifton Patterson, 43, Anglin Tire Company. Mitchell reportedly shot Patterson three times during a dispute over missing tools, hitting him in the abdomen, left rear shoulder and in the back of the head. Mitchell had kept a handgun in one of his tool boxes.

April 18th Benoni, South Africa Business Owner Kills Two Workers and Injures Another

In case of an employer shooting his own employees, Tony Jones, 55, opened fire at MCE Engineering on Monday after a dispute over wage payments. He was arguing with 15 of his employees in the morning as they were demanding their full payment, only a portion of which did they receive. There was history of abusive practices such as when he set his 10 attack dogs on his workers last year. These dogs were constantly intimidating the workers through the workplace. In this last shooting, two workers were killed and one critically injured when he ordered them outside the gate and then came back with a gun, firing randomly at the workers. He was later found dead inside his office from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Jury Finds Mother not Guilty of 1st Degee Murder of Rapist

A jury found the defendant Kimberly Cunningham, 33, not guilty of first degree murder when she went to the Alcoa, TN workplace of Coy Hundley, 39, and shot him in the parking lot. It was over a year and half ago when Cunningham discovered that Hudley had allegedly raped her 10 year old daughter. Hudley was also the girl’s uncle. The next day, Cunningham went to Slide Lock Tool Inc. where Hudley worked and shot him 8 times. The jury is still weighing to convict her of lesser charges.

San Antonio, TX Air Force Base Captain Under Investigation for Attempting to Plot Murder of Wife at Work

At the Lackland Air Force Base, Captain Barry Brown and his aide, Staff Sergeant Ramona Greiner, are both under investigation for planning the murder of Brown’s wife. Greiner allegedly asked a civilian friend to kill the Captain’s wife for the price of $25,000. The man went to the authorities who helped him arrange a meeting on March 25th with the two suspects. The man was wearing a microphone and taped the solicitation for murder and plan. This is a workplace place issue because the pair ordered the man to go to the Captain’s wife’s workplace to not only kill her but shoot anyone else present. This was to cover up the lead the motive and to make it appear as a random event.

April 23rd Pittsburgh, PA Woman Shoots Ex-Boyfriend then Commits Suicide

Amy Jo Gamble, 27, went to the Keystone Power Plant in Plum Creek Township where he ex-boyfriend worked. He apparently did not know that she slipped behind Andrew Paul Gordish, 32 and pulled the trigger of a.38 revolver. She then put the gun to her own head and committed suicide. He had recently moved away after living with her for period of time in Elderton. Both were pronounced dead at 10:05 a.m.

April 14th Durango, CO Ex-Boyfriend Shoots Employee then Flees on Foot

Richard Edwards, 49, walked into the workplace of his estranged girlfriend, 41, shooting and killing her the moment he saw her. She was working at a Beads and Beyond store when he walked in on Thursday morning at 11:19 a.m. He shot 7 times with a semi-automatic handgun which he had recently purchased. He then fled the store, leading officers on a foot chase that criss-crossed through a quiet residential neighborhood. He was finally apprehended without incident at around 12:15 p.m. Earlier in the week, he had entered her home and ransacked the place, destroying her property. For this crime, there was an open warrant for his arrest and the police were actively searching for him.

April 11th Bristol, Virginia Man Kills Boyfriend of Ex-wife, then Calls Police

John Reeves, 44, rammed his car into Randy Canter’s just as Canter was arriving for work at Permatile Concrete Products. The event occurred at around 7 a.m. and witnesses say that Reeves had been waiting and asking for him. After the car wreck, Reeves pulled a shotgun out of the back of his car and chased his victim. Canter was shot in the back as he was trying to escape. It was then that the perpetrator went back to his car, called 911 and waited a short while till officers arrived to turn himself in to the authorities. Co-workers state that the two men had an on-going dispute over Reeve’s wife who was living with Canter. Reeves even attempted to take a restraining order out against his former wife but it was denied. Canter had an open communicating threats warrant on Reeves but it could not be served over state lines as he lived in Tennessee. Reeves was on probation and was prohibited from owning a fire arm or crossing state-lines.
This incident illustrates the study done by Peace at Work that shows how many of these assaults occur in the parking lot at the beginning of work (31%) and that the perpetrators turn themselves over to the police afterwards (11%).

April 6 North Miami Beach, FL Man Kills Wife then Self

At a busy auto tag agency, Gustavo Velastegui, 42, came to his wife’s workplace where he shot and killed her and then turned the gun on himself. Co-workers relate how she had an argument with him over the phone, going to the bathroom afterwards. He arrived shortly there after where he encountered her in the parking lot. He chased her into the building where she hid in the bathroom. He ran in shouting to know where she was and fired the gun in the air. He went to the bathroom and broke down the door, shot her 3 times and then killed himself. Yndhira Velastegui, 36 and the mother of 4, had obtained a restraining order against him on February 15th and had left him 5 months ago. Co-workers also state that he had been stalking her for the past few weeks.

Canadian Conference Focuses on Workplace Violence

As Canada has been ranked as the fourth worst country in the world for violence in the workplace violence, the Industrial Accident Prevention Association of that nation is hosting a landmark conference with emphasis on the issue. The Health and Safety Canada 2005 Conference and Trade Show was held on April 4, 2005 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Speaking at the event was Julian Fantino, Ontario's newly
appointed Commissioner of Emergency Management and former Chief of the Toronto
Police Service. Also a key note speaker was Charles Moose, who headed the 2002 multi-jurisdictional taskforce assigned to apprehend the headline-making "DC serial snipers."

4/2 Woodridge, NY Workplace Stabbing From Co-Worker Dispute

Luis Garcia, 41, stabbed a fellow co-worker Melvin Kanalis, 33, at the Newburgh Egg Corp. The injury was to this abdomen and he had to be rushed to the hospital. The dispute occurred around noon as Kanalis asked Garcia to clean a piece of equipment. A argument ensued that ended in the stabbing with a box cutter. Garcia then fled after the incident but was later caught home.

3/31 Espanola, NM Ex-boyfriend Killed Current Boyfriend

Andrew R. Vigil, 23, had walked out of his job at the Real Estate Title Services when he was allegedly shot by Julio A. Chiviria-Grijalva, 17 who accompanied by Jake Lucero, 17. While the exact details are yet to be clarified, the incident stems from domestic situation involving an old girlfriend. Vigil was the previous boyfriend of Lucero’s current girlfriend. The young woman and Lucero had an altercation earlier in the day where he threatened to burn her clothes. She called Vigil and told him about the argument and fight. It was shortly thereafter at around 11:20 a.m. when Chiviria-Grijalva and Lucero arrived at Vigil’s workplace. As he stepped outside, they shot him from the car and then drove off. Vigil was pronounced dead at Española Hospital.