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This section contains the nature of the case and procedural background.

P worked for D as a guard and driver of an armored car. On March 10, 1994, P and his partner, Steffon Sobosky, made a scheduled stop at a Seafirst Bank branch. Sobosky got out of the truck and entered the bank while P stayed in the driver's compartment. P then saw a woman, whom he recognized as the bank manager, run out of the bank while pointing behind her and screaming. P saw a man with a knife chasing her. The armed man was approximately 15 feet behind the manager. While running past the front of the truck, the manager looked straight at P and cried out, 'Help me, help me.' P saw nobody coming to help the manager. After the manager and the suspect ran past the front of the truck, P got out, locking the door behind him. While out of P's view, the manager reached a drive-in teller booth across the parking lot, where she found refuge. By the time P walked forward to a point where he could see the suspect, the suspect had already grabbed another woman who was walking into the bank. P recognized the second woman as Kathy Martin, an employee of Plant World, who watered plants at the bank. The suspect put the knife to Martin's throat and dragged her back into the bank. P followed them into the bank where he observed his partner, Sobosky, with his gun drawn and aimed at the suspect. When Sobosky distracted the suspect, P and a bank customer tackled the suspect and disarmed him. The police arrived immediately thereafter and took custody of the suspect. Martin was unharmed. D has a 'fundamental' company rule forbidding armored truck drivers from leaving the truck unattended. The employee handbook states, 'violations of this rule will be grounds for termination.' Drivers may not exit the compartment under any circumstance. This rule is for the safety of both the driver and the partner who enters the business to make pickups or deliveries. The rule is so absolute, that the driver is not allowed to get out of the truck when pulled over by someone who appears to be a police officer. Instead, the driver must show the officer a card that explains the driver will follow the officer to the police station. When emergencies arise, the driver, although confined to the compartment, can summon help or take other action using the two-way radio, public address system, and sirens. P was fired and sued D for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy. The Judge certified the following question to this court: Does it violate public policy in the State of Washington to discharge an at-will employee for violating a company rule in order to go to the assistance of a citizen held hostage at the scene of a crime, and/or who is in danger of serious physical injury and/or death?

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Legal analysis from Dean's Law Dictionary will be displayed here.