A violent confrontation between a male customer and a female McDonald’s worker was began when the customer demanded a straw with his order.
The video footage shows a white male customer grabbing Yasmine James by her uniform top and attempting to drag her across the counter.
The male customer was identified by St. Petersburg police as 40-year-old Daniel Willis Taylor of Clearwater, Florida.
The Facebook video was originally posted by TJ Baindudi, who said the fight was filmed by his mother and sister who are regular customers of the franchise location in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Yasmine’s colleagues and the restaurant manager initially stood by and did nothing to help her as Taylor attacked her. Yasmine defended herself by punching Taylor’s face repeatedly. Her co-workers eventually intervened to separate them.
Taylor can be heard telling the manager, “I want her ass fired right now!”
Yasmine responds, “No, you’re finna [sic] go to jail. You put your hands on me first!”
“I was just asking you a f—ing question, bitch,” Taylor replied.
Viewers are outraged that no one stepped in to help the worker while she was being attacked. A few customers are heard in the background yelling, “Call the police.”
Social media users are calling for the manager to be fired.
One Twitter user wrote:
“I am sick of seeing footage of men assault Women (often Black Women) and no one does anything about it. This conditioning contributes to the narrative that we are undeserving of protection and mark my words: it’s reaching a peak and turning into an invitation for our abuse.”
Another Twitter user directed her question at @McDonald’s Twitter feed.
“When will you be assisting your employee in pressing charges against this man and also training your staff on how to properly handle an assault on a woman and one of your employees. We need answers NOW.”
According to Newsweek.com, Pinellas County arrest records show Taylor was arrested and charged with two counts of 1st-degree simple battery.
