Walmart greeter in Katy fired after punching panhandler who allegedly threatened him

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- Bobby Bowers who worked at a Walmart in Katy for the past 10 years says he loved his job as a greeter until he was fired.

Bowers told Eyewitness News that the giant retailer fired him from his job after an altercation with a panhandler.

The incident happened on March 31, when customers told Bowers that they were being harassed by a man while they were entering the store.

The 62-year-old said he witnessed the man yelling at children and harassing customers.

"He was yelling at all the customers saying, 'There is no Easter Bunny. There is no Santa Claus. You're poisoning the children's minds.' The customers came up to me and said this guy is out here harassing us. There were little kids walking in. They were all upset," said Bowers. "I walked over to him. I said, 'Sir, can you please leave?' He said he wasn't going anywhere. The children were all around. I was afraid for the children."

Bowers said the man became aggressive, and started spitting on him while yelling that he was infected with HIV.

"He said he wasn't going anywhere. I said, 'I'm going to call the police.' He said, 'I'm going to give you something to call the police about,'" said Bowers. "'I have a knife and I'm going to stab you.' He came rushing at me. I did what I had to do."

Bowers told Eyewitness News that he punched the man in the face.

"I wasn't going to let him in. No way. They told me I was the aggressor," said Bowers. "He reached in his backpack and he came at me. Nose to nose. That's when I hit him and knocked him down. Right in the face."

Bowers said his boss fired him and told him that he violated the store's policy by hitting a customer.

Customers have created a website, an online petition, and GoFundMe account to help Bowers.