*(CNN) — D’Monterrio Gibson, the Black FedEx driver who said he was shot at and chased by two White men while delivering packages in Mississippi last year tells CNN FedEx fired him after denying his request to work from home.
Gibson, 25, was fired because he did not accept a part-time, non-courier job that the company offered in mid-July, FedEx told CNN affiliate WAPT.
“They offered me a job, which I didn’t accept because of the things I still deal with daily stemming from the situation including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and random panic attacks,” Gibson wrote in a text message to CNN Tuesday.
“I did ask if they had any at-home jobs available and they said no. Now I found out I’m fired. I just don’t think my healing should be linear to their timeline.”
In an email to CNN, FedEx spokesperson Meredith Miller said the company “can confirm that Mr. Gibson is no longer employed at FedEx.” Miller did not answer additional questions from CNN.
Last week, a judge declared a mistrial in the trial of Gregory and Brandon Case – the White father and son charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and shooting into a motor vehicle. CNN has reached out to attorneys for Gregory and Brandon Case for comment.
The mistrial was declared after video of a police interview with Gibson after the incident was not turned over to the prosecution or defense by the Brookhaven Police Department, Moore has said. CNN has reached out to Brookhaven police for comment.
Prosecutors said they will retry the case, WAPT reported.
Gibson compares his case to Ahmaud Arbery’s
Gibson told CNN he was delivering packages to a home on January 24, 2022. He was driving a Hertz rental van that had two large Hertz stickers on the back, Gibson said.
Moore added that Gibson was wearing a FedEx jacket, shirt and pants, but the vehicle had no FedEx markings.
Around 7 p.m., Gibson said, he saw a white pickup truck approaching and honking the horn at him. Gibson said he thought he was in the truck’s way and tried to leave, but the truck swerved around him and tried to cut him off.
“At that point my instincts kick in, and I swerve around him as he (is) trying to cut me off, to avoid getting stuck in the neighborhood,” Gibson told CNN last year.
He said he drove down the street about two or three houses when a man in the middle of the road pointed a gun at his vehicle and was mouthing and waving at Gibson to stop. Gibson said he shook his head “no” and ducked behind his steering wheel while he swerved around him.
That’s when Gibson heard “at least five shots and heard the bullets hitting the van,” according to an incident report.
The white pickup truck – now with both men inside – chased Gibson out of Brookhaven and to the interstate, Gibson said.
According to affidavits, Gregory Case was driving the truck chasing Gibson, and his son Brandon Case was the man in the street who pointed the gun at Gibson.
Gibson said he “can definitely see the similarities” between his case and that of Ahmaud Arbery – the Black man who was jogging in south Georgia in February 2020 when a White father and son pursued him. The son opened fire, killing Arbery. The father and son, along with another man, were sentenced last year to life in prison.
“That’s why I feel it’s my responsibility to speak up,” Gibson told CNN last year. “Ahmaud Arbery didn’t survive to speak up for himself, so I want to take that upon myself to do that for me and him as well.”
Dispute over FedEx’s response
The day after the shooting, Gibson said, FedEx put him on the same route on which the incident happened. After two days of working that route, he said, he started having anxiety and almost had a panic attack.
While the FedEx spokesperson did not answer additional questions from CNN on Tuesday, Gibson had strong words for his former employer.
“I was offended and disappointed because they’ve done very little to help me since the beginning,” Gibson wrote to CNN on Tuesday.
“Originally they only offered me two weeks off without pay then asked me to not speak to the news media,” he said.
“Once it started getting a lot of coverage that’s when they tried to step up and actually pay me in workers comp,” Gibson wrote.
“I’m currently still in therapy and they only paid for the first 8 sessions. Everything has been coming out of my pocket since then.”
His attorney said he looks forward “to holding FedEx accountable in a court of law for intentional infliction of emotional distress for sending Mr. Gibson back to the same, very dangerous route the very next day after the attack by the Cases.”
“FedEx has shown its true colors,” Moore said in a statement to CNN. “It has never cared about my client’s black life. How could any employer be so insensitive and tone deaf and fire a dedicated employee after he almost lost his life working for the company?”
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