NORWOOD – A late-night confrontation at the Taco Bell on Providence Highway has sparked a police investigation into alleged threats of gun violence, though authorities now say the incident appears to have been a mutual verbal altercation.
On Saturday, May 2, 2026, at approximately 10:15 PM, Norwood Police responded to the restaurant at 958 Boston-Providence Highway following reports that a customer had threatened to “blow an employee’s face off.”
According to the Norwood Police report, the incident began when a customer in the drive-thru became “unruly.” An employee, identified as “Thea,” told responding officers that the customer exited his vehicle, approached the drive-thru window, and placed his hands inside the frame to prevent her from closing it.
The argument reportedly centered on a food order. Thea alleged that the man threatened to “blast her face off” and stated he would return. A second employee corroborated hearing the male party yell that he “could shoot everyone as well.”
The investigation took a turn when officers reviewed a 70-second video of the interaction recorded on the employee’s phone. While the suspect was heard making several violent statements, the police narrative suggests the conflict was a “back and forth” exchange.
According to the police report, the transcript of the video includes the suspect allegedly saying:
“You could get shot, I could blow your head off… over some [expletive] food, you see it happens on the news every day.”
When the employee asked, “What are you guna do?” the male replied, “I could have a gun in the car right now and blow your head off” police say.
However, the officers report noted that the employee did not appear to be in fear during the recording and continued to banter with and “instigate” the customer. Officers advised the employee that the preferred action in the future is to step away and call the police rather than antagonizing an unruly customer.
Police eventually identified the vehicle involved as a 2008 Honda Accord registered to a Boston resident. After issuing a “BOLO” (Be On the Lookout) alert, Officer Johnson was able to contact the male party involved.
The suspect, described as a man from Dorchester, allegedly claimed this was the second night in a row the manager had given him an “attitude.” He denied making direct threats, claiming he was merely “warning her” about violent scenarios often seen on the news regarding trivial matters. He emphasized that he does not own a firearm and stated he has no prior history with law enforcement.
After reviewing the footage and interviewing both sides, Norwood Police determined that while the statements made were violent in nature, they did not constitute a direct, actionable threat under the specific circumstances of the mutual argument. “At this time, there are no directed (sic) threats,” the reporting officer concluded. Both parties have been advised of the investigation’s findings. -RD
article updated 5.11.26
