NORWOOD – A late-night order at the Burger King drive-thru escalated into a frightening incident Friday, October 17th, after a customer reportedly threatened to “shoot up the restaurant” and hurled racist insults at an employee.
Norwood Police responded to 41 Providence Highway at approximately 11:55 PM following a 911 call reporting a male subject threatening violence. Dispatch initially described the suspect as a Black male operating a small gray vehicle.
Upon arrival, the responding officer did not locate a suspect or vehicle matching the description. An employee working at the time recounted the alarming sequence of events, which appeared to stem from a payment dispute.
According to the employee, the male customer, who was in the drive-thru line, became “upset” and began yelling obscenities at them when the customer’s credit card declined payment for his order.
The employee informed the customer of the declined payment and requested an alternate source of funds. The customer initially handed over a $1 bill for an order totaling $5.35 before “reluctantly” providing a different card, which was successfully processed.
After receiving his receipt, the customer asked the employee if she was Spanish. When she replied that she was not, but was Cape Verdean, the situation immediately deteriorated.
The employee told officers the male subject began to swear and “berate” her, allegedly telling her she should “go back to her country” and that she would “get deported.” The employee reportedly did not engage with the customer, choosing not to escalate the situation further.
It was during this time that a co-worker informed the employee that the angry customer had driven beyond the service window, exited his vehicle and yelled that he was going to “rob the place, and shoot his boss in the face.”
Fearing for her safety following the explicit threats and hateful language, the store manager shut, locked the drive-thru window and called police. Before leaving the area, the suspect was briefly seen approaching another customer’s vehicle in the drive-thru line. It is unknown the contents of any interaction between the two customers.
The suspect was described as a younger Black male, approximately six feet tall, with a ball cap and a short haircut, driving a small gray vehicle. The manager was unable to obtain the vehicle’s license plate or state of origin.
Police were provided a copy of the receipt, showing the purchase was made with a Visa card. The store manager did not have access to surveillance footage at the time but indicated she would notify her supervisor to obtain it. According to the police report, the investigation was suspended pending additional information. -RD