An elderly woman has died in Indiana following a physical altercation with a Tim Hortons employee over a drive-thru order, police have confirmed.
Surveillance footage released by the Fort Wayne Police Department shows Anita Grayson, 75, entering the coffee shop on 13 May to address an issue with her order. Once inside, she began berating a 17-year-old female employee. A 20-year-old shift lead intervened and repeatedly told Grayson to leave.
The footage shows Grayson pushing the shift lead before hitting her in the face. The shift lead then lunged at Grayson, causing both to fall to the ground. During the struggle, Grayson grabbed the shift lead's face, pulled off her glasses, and pulled out a chunk of her hair. The pair were separated by other employees.
Grayson then sat at a table and spoke on her phone before lying down on the floor. The shift lead checked on her and brought her water. When police arrived, Grayson was unresponsive. Medics performed life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Grayson's daughter, Tawnda Grayson, said her mother had congestive heart failure and was wearing a heart monitor. 'My mother was wronged in the worst way,' she said. 'You should not enter a coffee shop for a coffee and a doughnut and come out unalived.'
The police department released the footage to counter what it called a 'dangerously false narrative' circulating online. Tim Hortons expressed condolences and stated the franchisee is cooperating with authorities. The coroner's preliminary findings showed no significant contributory injuries.
