Autistic clerk fired from CA supermarket after being assaulted thrice.

Autistic Grocery Store Clerk Fired After Three Violent Attacks on the Job

Austin Sherrell, a grocery store clerk in California, was reportedly fired from his job after being attacked on the job three times.

Sherrell, who describes himself as “mildly autistic,” worked at the Vons supermarket in Bakersfield. His duties included bagging groceries, collecting shopping carts, and taking out the trash around the store. Despite being well-liked by customers, Sherrell was the victim of three separate violent attacks while working at the supermarket.

• The first incident happened in January when two people attacked him while he was taking out the trash. One of the thieves punched him in the face, and the other pepper-sprayed him.
• The second incident happened in March when a man attacked him with a knife while he was taking out the trash. Fortunately, the clerk had stuffed a roll of extra trash bags into his apron, which stopped the blade from harming him.
• The third incident happened in April when a man under the influence of drugs or alcohol threatened Sherrell’s life inside the store.

After the third attack, Sherrell applied for worker’s compensation, but he was told to take time off, and then his hours were cut. He was eventually fired for touching a customer.

Sherrell’s father Adam started a GoFundMe page to help his son, who suffered nightmares and panic attacks after the knife attack. As of the publishing of this article, the page has raised more than $5600.

Despite the traumatic experience, Sherrell expressed his gratitude to the customers who treated him nicely during his time at the grocery chain.