[quote]i guess the problem is if the shoplifter had gotten hurt or killed–or more likely, an innocent bystander had been toppled — [/quote]
I think the issue here is not that the employer worries that the shoplifter might get hurt. And no one is interested in cuddling criminals either. The employer’s concern is that the employee might get hurt while chasing the thief. This is the store’s worst case scenario and nightmare: that the thief pulls a gun and kills/badly hurts the clerk chasing him.
Is the store that concerned about its clerks safety? Yes, but more importantly, the store doesn’t want to be sued by the clerk’s widow.
