Episode 7: Path of Destruction: Richard Farley

A man, unhinged & obsessed with his co-worker. Revenge taken out on an entire office building and 7 left dead.

This is the case of the stalking of Laura Black and the man obsessed with her.

Music by Timmoor from Pixabay

Image by Neosiam

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were a reported 444 total fatal injuries caused by personal assault in the workplace in the US in 2019.  The Workplace Violence Research Institute says that violence in the workplace can be defined as the disgruntled employee or client that shoots up the office; more commonly though, it is defined as Any act against an employee that creates a hostile work environment and negatively affects the employee, either physically or psychologically. These acts include all types of physical or verbal assaults, threats, coercion, intimidation and all forms of harassment.

Many workplaces have training for their employees on how to respond if they are ever in the rare situation of an active shooter -if you’re unsure of your employers response regarding workplace harassment or handling of violence in the workplace, ask - be the one to bring it up to your boss or to HR.  You just never know. A link to resources is below.

https://www.osha.gov/workplace-violence/resources

Sources

https://abc7news.com/archive/8743901/

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-supreme-court/1295931.html

ABC Prime Time Live

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESL_Incorporated

http://www.noworkviolence.com/articles/employers_guide.htm (2012)

https://www.ravemobilesafety.com/blog/latest-workplace-violence-statistics