A white Florida man has been arrested on battery charges after video emerged of him lunging across a McDonald’s counter and violently grabbing a black female employee by her shirt in an argument over the location of the straws.
The shocking video, which has gone viral on social media, shows the man, who was identified by police as 40-year-old Daniel Taylor, suddenly snatching Yasmine James’ shirt collar and aggressively pulling her towards him. The reason? She had reportedly told him that restaurant policy was to keep straws behind the counter.
The attack was evidently the last straw for the stunned employee, however, and she began to fight back, throwing multiple punches at Taylor who refused to let her go, despite amazed onlookers urging him to release his grip. One staff member is seen trying to pull James away from Taylor while another walks around the counter in an effort to restrain him, which prompts him to finally let the young woman go.
Amazingly, when the altercation ends, Taylor acts like nothing untoward happened and announces: “I want her ass fired, right now.”
It didn’t end there, however. According to witness Kinie Biandudi, who recorded the 54-second video clip, Taylor continued to take out his straw-related rage on other employees, returning moments later to start a fight with the restaurant manager, who then threw him out of the restaurant, locking the door behind him.
On his way out, Taylor reportedly kicked another black female employee in the stomach. That moment was also caught on camera and seen by several witnesses, according to the police report. Taylor escaped before police arrived, but was later apprehended.
In a Facebook post, Biandudi said it “all started because he wanted a straw” and he “began arguing and belittling” the employee after she explained that they were kept behind the counter.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s released a statement, saying “our highest priority is always the safety and well-being” of its employees and guests, promising full cooperation in the probe.
The video has prompted outrage online, with many taking issue with the restaurant manager’s handling of the situation and the fact that the police were not immediately called. The video also appeared to show that the manager initially took the customer’s side, re-checking his order and asking him what he wanted after the attack. Many called for the manager to be fired for not instantly taking steps to protect his staff.
James told the Atlanta Black Star that rumors that she herself had been fired were untrue and that she was instead on paid leave. Responding to online praise of her self-defense skills, the 20-year-old said her family “know how to box.”
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