FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Police in Fort Wayne, Ind., have released surveillance video and new details after a 75-year-old woman died following a confrontation with employees at a Tim Hortons restaurant earlier this month.
Police said Anita Grayson entered the restaurant shortly after 8 a.m. on May 13 to complain about a drive-thru order. According to investigators, Grayson began arguing with a 17-year-old employee before a 20-year-old shift lead intervened and repeatedly asked her to leave.
Police said the confrontation escalated when Grayson attempted to move toward the younger employee.
“The shift lead placed her hands against Ms. Grayson in an apparent effort to prevent her from reaching the juvenile employee,” police said in a release.
Investigators allege Grayson then shoved the shift lead and struck her in the face, leading to a physical struggle between the two women. Police said other employees attempted to separate them during the altercation.
“During the struggle, Ms. Grayson pulled a chunk of hair from the shift lead’s head, leaving a raw area on the top of her head,” the release stated.
Police also said surveillance footage showed Grayson picking up the employee’s hair from the floor and placing it in her bag after the fight ended.
According to investigators, Grayson later lay down on the restaurant floor and became unresponsive before emergency crews arrived. She was taken to hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office said Grayson’s cause and manner of death remain pending.
Police said the video and details were released because of what they described as “significant public concern and misinformation” circulating online after partial clips of the incident appeared on social media.
