Florida man filmed attacking McDonald’s employee in argument over plastic straws

A man who grabbed an employee at a Florida McDonald’s during an argument over straws has been arrested after a video of the incident gained millions of views on Facebook.

St Petersburg Police Department said Daniel Taylor has been charged with two counts of simple battery following the attack on New Year’s Eve.

In the video of the incident, Taylor, a white man, can be seen leaning across the counter and grabbing the young black female cashier until she lurches forward.

For a moment, the employee seems to stumble, then regains her balance and begins punching the man.

Other people can be heard shouting “Let her go” and “Stop!” After about 15 seconds, another McDonald’s employee walks around the end of the counter and pulls the customer back until he lets go of the woman.

The employee continues shouting as she is escorted away by a co-worker, while a man in a McDonald’s uniform steps up to the counter and speaks to the man.

Moments after the incident, the employee returns to the counter area to look for her phone.

The man points at her and shouts: “Sir, I want her a... fired!”

The woman says: “No, you’re going to jail!” The man then screams more profanities at her.

Finally, a McDonald’s employee tells the customer: “Sir, get outta here.”

The footage was filmed by another customer, Brenda Biandudi, on her phone.

She said that the man who attacked the two McDonald’s employees got upset when he saw there were no plastic straws.

The St Petersburg City Council voted last month to ban plastic straws by 2020, beginning with a grace period in 2019 in which customers must specifically request plastic straws at city businesses.

Ms Biandudi said that after she stopped filming, Taylor started verbally attacking the manager.

Another employee then grabbed Taylor, took him outside the restaurant and locked the door.

By the time police arrived, the man had left the McDonald’s, she said.

Ms Biandudi said she spoke with police and later shared the video with family members.

The video garnered millions of views after Ms Biandudi’s children posted it on Facebook and after it was shared by the Atlanta Black Star, an online magazine.

Ms Biandudi said: “I was just disappointed the guy got away.

It was the right thing to do. Some people say the customer’s always right. (The cashier was) a young girl. I wanted her to keep her job. I wanted the guy to be caught.”

Later on Sunday evening, police arrested Taylor, according to an arrest affidavit from the St Petersburg Police Department.

There were no weapons found on him, and there were indications that he was under the influence of alcohol, police said.

Arrest records also indicate that there was further violence not captured on video.

“The victim was kicked in the stomach by the defendant, and was complaining of pain,” police stated in an affidavit.

“The defendant was being escorted out of the business by management due to him battering another employee, and causing a disturbance.

“The defendant kicked the victim in the stomach while she was standing near the exit door.”

Calls to the St Petersburg McDonald’s were not answered on Wednesday morning.

A McDonald’s representative did not respond to specific questions sent by email – including what protocol employees should follow if a customer turns violent – but said instead the company was “fully cooperating” with police.

“Our highest priority is always the safety and well-being of our employees and customers at our restaurants,” McDonald’s said in a statement.

Washington Post