Viral video: Man seen hitting McDonald’s employee

Dubai: In a disturbing video that has gone viral online, a Florida, US McDonald’s employee is seen getting physically abused by a customer.

The video shows a man holding a female employee’s collar and pulling her towards him. She is quickly seen hitting him in defence and trying to make him let go of her shirt. A fellow worker is also seen trying to hold her back.

Observers can be heard shouting out phrases like “let her go” and “stop” in the background. Soon after, another McDonald’s employee walks around the end of the counter and pulls the customer back until he lets go of the woman.

The victim continues to shout as she is escorted away by a fellow employee, as another restaurant worker steps in to the counter to serve the customer. According to reports, the feud started over no straws being stocked at the condiments stand. The man had grown upset after seeing no straws and complained to the employee he later attacked.

The perpetrator who has been arrested has been identified as Daniel Willis Taylor, by international media reports. Whereas, the victim is named Yasmin James.

Following the attack, Taylor was charged with two counts of simple battery, ordered to stay away from the fast food chain’s restaurant and its employee, and he is currently awaiting trial, as reported by The Washington Post.

The video that was taken by another customer, Brenda Biandudi, was first shared on Facebook before getting picked up by multiple media platforms and soon becoming viral.

The clip has now been shared multiple times by social media users and they are expressing their concerns over the incident, with many tweeting to McDonald’s directly.

Tweep @RochelleRitchie wrote: “@McDonalds 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. @StPetePD”

Over rumours of James getting fired after the incident, hundreds of tweets asking the international restaurant chain rolled in.

User, @msjustice2, asked: “@McDonalds why was the customer still served after this? Why do young employees have to be fired or reprimanded for practicing their own self-defence?”

However, according to an online report by Florida-based ABC Action News channel, James confirmed that she was not fired following the attack, as some online users are claiming.

In true Twitter fashion however, some tweeps made light of the situation, and posted creative and quirky remarks.

Replying to a version of the video shared by British news channel, Sky News, user David Austin, @dkaustin87, referenced a McDonald’s classic meal option and wrote: “Not a happy meal.”

Whereas, tweep, Craig Greaves, @Greavsie2179, posted: “Must have been the final straw.”