A 7-Eleven clerk in Oklahoma says she was fired after defending herself from an attacker who allegedly tried to strangle her over a counterfeit bill. Stephanie Dillard, 25, shot the 59-year-old suspect in the stomach after he became violent when she refused to accept a fake $100 bill for food items including burritos, beef sticks, and ice cream.

The incident occurred just before midnight on Thursday, with Dillard working alone from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., a schedule she had maintained for over two years. “He threatened me and said he was going to slice my head off,” Dillard recounted. “He started throwing things at me, grabbed my neck, and pushed me out from behind the counter. That’s when I pulled out my gun and shot him.”

Police identified the suspect as Kenneth Thompson, who ran to MacArthur Boulevard in Northwest 34th Street and called 911. Thompson was later arrested at a hospital and charged with assault and battery, threatening acts of violence, attempting to pass a counterfeit bill, and a felony parole violation.

Under Oklahoma law, Dillard is legally protected for acting in self-defense. However, she says that 7-Eleven corporate called her Monday morning to terminate her employment for violating company policy by using her own firearm. “I felt like I was put in a corner between choosing my job and my life. I will always choose my life,” Dillard said.

Dillard hopes her story serves as a warning to other clerks, particularly women, about the importance of self-defense. “If there’s a potential where someone could take my life, I will do whatever it takes. Women have the right to defend themselves,” she said.

As of now, 7-Eleven has not commented publicly on the situation. Dillard, meanwhile, continues to recover from scratches on her neck and burns on her fingers sustained during the incident.