Black FedEx driver fired after complaining that two white men shot at him
A black FedEx delivery driver has been fired after complaining that two white men chased and shot at him.
D'Monterrio Gibson, 25, has been on worker's compensation leave, at about one-third of his pay, since shortly after he reported the attack to police in Brookhaven, Mississippi, on the night it happened, January 24, 2022.
He was not injured in the shooting or chase, but he said on Monday that he has been in therapy to deal with anxiety because of it. He said he still has trouble sleeping.
And now he's revealed his contract has been terminated by the delivery company. "I honestly feel disrespected," the former driver revealed after he received an email from FedEx about his termination.
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D'Monterrio Gibson and his mother, Sharon McClendon (AP)Meredith Miller, manager of global network communications for FedEx, confirmed on Monday that "Mr. Gibson is no longer employed at FedEx."
Carlos Moore, an attorney who has represented Mr Gibson in a civil lawsuit, said his employment was terminated on July 26, and the company attempted to deliver a letter and documents to him about the termination on July 31.
Demonstrators offer support outside Lincoln County Courthouse in Brookhaven (AP)FedEx fired Mr Gibson because he did not accept a part-time, non-courier job that the company offered in mid-July, Moore said, adding that he did not know whether the company gave Gibson a deadline to accept.
"They can't tell me when I should be ready to come back," Gibson said.
Brandon Case and his father, Gregory Case, are charged with attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy, and shooting into the vehicle driven by Gibson. Prosecutors said they intend to schedule a new trial for the two men, who remain out on bond. A court official said the judge's docket is full through December.
The chase and gunfire led to complaints on social media of racism in Brookhaven, about an hour's drive south of the state capital, Jackson.
Sharon McClendon says her son was shot at and chased after he delivered a FedEx package at a home in Brookhaven (AP)The encounter happened as Gibson made FedEx deliveries in a van with the Hertz logo on three sides. After he dropped off a package at a home on a dead-end public road, Gregory Case used a pickup truck to try to block the van from leaving, and Brandon Case came outside with a gun, District Attorney Dee Bates told jurors last week.
As Gibson drove the van around the pickup truck, shots were fired, with three rounds hitting the delivery van and some of the packages inside, Bates said.
Brandon Case is on trial with his father for attempted murder (AP)Gregory Case saw a rental van with a Florida license plate outside his mother-in-law's unoccupied home after dark, defence attorney Terrell Stubbs told jurors. The elder Case was just going to ask the van driver what was going on, but the driver did not stop, Stubbs said.
On August 10, a federal judge dismissed Mr Gibson's federal lawsuit seeking $5 million from FedEx, writing that the lawsuit failed to prove the company discriminated against him because of his race.
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Gregory Case and Brandon Case (AP)That litigation also named the city of Brookhaven, the police chief, and the Cases. Moore said he plans to file a new civil suit in state court, seeking $10 million.
A grand jury issued a report last month saying that Brookhaven Police Department officers "poorly investigate their cases." The grand jury, made up of residents, considered more than 60 criminal cases., and wrote that the department is "complacent," "does not complete investigations in a timely manner," shows a "lack of professionalism" and "has a habit of witness blaming."
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