Austin security guard who quit after being assaulted has new job
AUSTIN, Texas - A security guard who quit his job during a FOX 7 interview earlier this week has a new job.
Percy Payne was telling FOX 7 Austin about an attack he faced during work, and he quit after his supervisor came, and they started arguing.
The owner of Central Texas Gun Works, who also owns a security company, hired him after seeing our story.
Payne says at his security job on Monday, June 24, at 6th and Brushy Streets, he saw two young men going inside the underground garage, the door stuck open. He believes they were trying to steal his car. He tried to detain them and says they attacked him.
Payne had to call 911 twice for an officer to respond.
During FOX 7's interview earlier this week, his supervisor walked up and told him there's a policy against doing interviews in uniform.
Things escalated with Payne deciding to quit, but they kept arguing, with the supervisor saying she believes the attack was his fault.
Payne, speaking to FOX 7 on Friday, talked about the attention he's gotten.
"It's overwhelming, but I really do appreciate all the positive energy and everything that's been happening," he said.
When asked if he was worried about what came next after he quit, "in a way, I was, but I still had to think positive. I have a kid with me, so I have to think positive. If he sees me worrying, he's going to worry," he said.
After thinking he had to go on a job search, "I woke up the next morning, was about to really get on Indeed and just start scrolling, because I know I've been looking in the medical field and a lot of stuff, but something keeps drawing me back to security," he said.
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That's where Michael Cargill came in, seeing FOX 7's story on social media.
"He deserved better," Cargill said. "That was just insane. The fact that he was in that predicament in the first place, and the fact that his supervisor was blaming him, his company was blaming him as the person that was in the wrong."
Cargill made the decision to hire him just like that.
"That is the first time, me hiring someone, not knowing anything about that person, not knowing anything about their background, but the fact that he's a level two security officer, that tells me he has a good background. I'm confident he's going to be an outstanding person," Cargill said.
Payne will be starting his new job on Monday.
"He's level two security, unarmed. I'll make him level three, an armed security guard. I'll give him the training," Cargill said.
"Bless him, this is a blessing, so I'm going to take this. This is an opportunity, it's a doorway, I'm going to take it, it can lead anywhere," Payne said.
The security company Payne worked for, Priebe Security, told FOX 7 on Wednesday they're looking into the situation. FOX 7 checked back Friday, and they have not given us any updates.