EAST POINT, Ga. — Brad Scurry walks around his hospital room, trying to get a little exercise at his doctor's request.
It's day five of his stay at Grady Hospital. He was transferred from ICU the night before.
His phone rings he answers and keeps walking around the room.
"I have to keep moving for right now," he said.
With a tube down his nose, it's a struggle to talk. But, he starts off the conversation with how much he adores his coworkers.
“We’ve got a few unique relationships in the office and its been a great time of my life to work with these people," he said. “I just want to get back to my job because catching shoplifters isn’t about getting people to punish. It’s about finding people that I can relate to and show them there’s a way to the other side.”
Scurry works as a loss prevention employee at an East Point Walmart. He was shot by an alleged shoplifter, police said.
“You expect to get punched in the face from time to time, but I never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get shot.”
On Friday, Dec. 11, one of Scurry's coworkers noticed a man on their cameras taking items from the store. Scurry said he went to talk to the man and tried to get him to go to their loss prevention office. Initially, he said he was going to let the man go.
“He just needed a few small items. He spent most of the time in the store eating while he was shopping so it was mostly a hungry situation.”
But when another coworker starting walking towards the two, that's when Scurry said the man more than likely panicked.
“After he felt cornered, he ended up firing the shot. He had a 50/50 shot and I’m glad it was taken at me.”
The bullet went through Scurry's arm, entered his upper right chest, damaging his lung, diaphragm and liver.
His sister, Dawn Scurry-Thomson, got a call later that night from a doctor at Grady.
“Surely he has the wrong number. And he said, ‘I have your brother Brad here with me,'" she said.
Despite the serious situation, Brad's always a jokester according to his sister, tried to lift the spirits of staff and a worried Dawn.
“I could here my brother in the background telling me 'it’s OK Dawn. I hope you’re still breathing. I’m working on my lyrics for my rap album,'" Dawn laughed as she retold the story. "I’m like 'you’re not going to be a rapper! You have no street cred for getting shot.”
Scurry made it out of surgery and is anxious to get back to his job. He likes talking to people. He likes trying to help people make different choices.
“I’ve been down and out in my life and every opportunity I have with people who come in the office that I caught shoplifting, I like to tell them, 'hey, I’ve been where you are and maybe even worse, but look at me now. I’m not nearly where I want to be but man, I’m taking steps every day.'” he explained. “The person at the very top and the person at the very bottom has the exact same possibility, every moment. Just make the next right decision.”
Brad Scurry and Family
With that said, Scurry and his sister hold no ill feelings towards the man that shot him.
“It’s hard to be angry at someone who’s that desperate. And honestly, I’m thankful my brother is still here, and he still gets to fight," Scurry's sister said.
Scurry added, “I don’t think he intended to cause any more damage to escape the situation. I hope he has support, and I hope he doesn’t vilify himself. I just hope he makes the next right decision.”
A GoFundMe was created to help with medical bills. In a short time, the fundraising effort surpassed it's goal.
“To see that kind of love and generosity was beyond humbling for him (Brad) and it really gives him some strength and a motivation that truly inspired to want to recover and get out there and live his best life," Dawn said, choking back tears.
Scurry said the support is helping him stay positive. And ever the jokester, before the phone call ended he assured, “I’ll have a little street cred coming back to the store.”