Customer ‘grabbed the shift lead by the hair and pulled her to the ground’ before her death
A 75‑year‑old woman died after a physical altercation with staff at a Tim Hortons in Fort Wayne, Indiana, following a dispute over a drive‑thru order, according to police.
The incident occurred on May 13, 2026, and involved customer Anita Grayson, a 17‑year‑old employee and a 20‑year‑old shift lead.
In a written update, the Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) stated that “any loss of life is tragic”. Police had carried out a full death investigation into the events inside the restaurant.
Police said Grayson entered the store at about 8:09 a.m. “to address an issue with an order she had received through the drive‑thru” and began “berating a 17‑year‑old female employee.”
According to the FWPD account, the 20‑year‑old shift lead stepped between Grayson and the younger worker and repeatedly told Grayson to leave the premises. Police said Grayson then appeared to move around the shift lead towards the teen, prompting the shift lead to place her hands on Grayson in an apparent attempt to block her path. Grayson “forcefully shoved the shift lead backward” and, at about 8:12 a.m., struck the shift lead “on the left side of the nose with her right hand,” police said.
FWPD reported that the confrontation escalated into a prolonged struggle on the restaurant floor. The shift lead moved towards Grayson while swinging her arms, and Grayson allegedly grabbed the worker’s face, leaving scratches and knocking off her glasses.
Police said Grayson then “grabbed the shift lead by the hair and pulled her to the ground and rolled on top of her,” while two other Tim Hortons employees tried to separate the two but struggled to free the worker’s hair.
Officers said Grayson pulled out a chunk of the employee’s hair during the struggle, leaving “a raw area on the top of her head.” Once the parties were separated, staff moved back behind the counter and Grayson sat at a table and spoke on her mobile phone. Police said surveillance footage shows Grayson later picking up the shift lead’s hair from the floor and placing it in her bag.
Medical emergency and police response
Police said that at approximately 8:22 a.m., Grayson lay down on the restaurant floor while still inside the premises. The shift lead went to check on her and brought her a cup of water, and another employee also attended to her as she remained on the floor, according to the FWPD statement.
An FWPD officer arrived shortly afterwards and found Grayson unresponsive. Medics were called to the scene and “began life‑saving measures,” police said. Grayson was transported from the restaurant by emergency responders and was later pronounced dead by medical staff at hospital.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office was notified and an autopsy was requested as part of the death investigation. At the time of the police update on May 19, FWPD said “the cause and manner of death remain pending.” The investigative file was sent to the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office for review the same day.
FWPD Homicide Detectives and crime scene personnel “conducted a full death investigation,” according to the statement. Police said they interviewed witnesses, collected and reviewed surveillance video, gathered evidence and fully documented the scene as part of the inquiry. The department said its initial public communication was limited “out of respect for Ms. Grayson’s family and in an effort to avoid causing additional distress.”
A video of the incident was uploaded on YouTube.
Police address public concern and workplace context
The police update was issued after what FWPD described as intense public reaction to partial and low‑quality video clips of the incident circulating online. The department said “a dangerously false narrative, along with poor‑quality video circulating publicly, has led to significant public concern and misinformation.”
“For that reason, and because it is in the public interest, FWPD is releasing the facts of the case along with a clear and complete video of the events that occurred inside Tim Hortons,” the statement said. Police added that they “recognize the importance of transparency, accuracy, and allowing the investigative and prosecutorial review process to proceed based on the full body of evidence, not incomplete video clips or inaccurate public narratives.”
FWPD reiterated that “any loss of life is tragic” and framed its response in terms of both investigative rigour and community expectations.
The department said it understood the level of concern surrounding the case and emphasised that decisions on any potential charges would rest with the prosecutor once the full file, including the coroner’s findings, had been reviewed.
