A former McDonald’s employee in California was hit with a felony charge for allegedly spitting on a uniformed police officer’s burger and rubbing the bun on the floor.
Tatyana Hargrove, 21, was arrested in 2019 and will stand trial on a felony charge of willfully poisoning food, according to court documents. The former Bakersfield McDonald’s employee is also accused of shouting, “Black Lives Matter,” and, “F— the pigs!”
Hargrove’s attorney, deputy public defender Lexi Blythe, argued at the preliminary hearing there was not enough evidence for the felony charge since her back was to the security camera when she allegedly spat on the burger. It’s also unclear when the floors were scrubbed with cleaning products, prompting Blythe to argue that it’s not known if harmful chemicals came in contact with the burger.
Prosecutor Gina Pearl had a simple response when asked if saliva should be considered a “harmful substance.” “Look at what’s going on in the world right now with the coronavirus,” said Pearl.
The police officer was unaware of the alleged tampering of the food since he was in the drive-thru lane in a patrol car. He reported that he did not get sick after eating the fast-food, but it is unclear if he was tested for HIV or hepatitis.
In 2018, Hargrove claimed she was the victim of police brutality when she was arrested by police in 2017. She sued the city, but a judge ruled in favor of the city of Bakersfield.
A judge dismissed a different charge of misdemeanor battery in the case after finding insufficient evidence. Hargrove is next scheduled to appear in court on March 23.
