HOUSTON, TEXAS: A Jack in the Box worker in Houston, Alonniea Fantasia Ford, allegedly took a shot at a customer in the drive-thru after a disagreement over fries, according to the lawsuit.
The lawyer for the customer, Anthony Ramos, posted a video of the incident on Tuesday, September 26, per People.
Attorney Randall L Kallinen had filed the complaint against the fast-food establishment and its staff member, Ford, in 2022.
According to KTRK, Kallinen was provided with a 23-minute video of the conflict via a discovery request.
How did the clash erupt at Jack in the Box outlet?
According to the lawsuit, which was filed by attorney Randall L. Kallinen, the event occurred in March 2021 at the restaurant near Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Anthony Ramos and his pregnant wife had placed an order that included curly fries for their 6-year-old daughter.
When the employee Alonniea Ford stated that the curly fries were missing, an altercation erupted.
Ford and another employee can be seen speaking with Ramos via the drive-thru window in the video. During the confrontation, she is seen becoming enraged and throwing packages of ice and ketchup at Ramos.
Ford then briefly turns around, takes the gun out of her pocket, turns around, and points it out the drive-through window. Ramos and his family quickly flee, but you then see the worker lean out and shoot the truck once or twice.
Ford is then seen putting the gun away and beginning to tidy up prior to the arrival of the cops.
Was Jack in the Box employee arrested before?
According to Kallinen, Ford was charged and pleaded guilty to a terrorist threat in 2012 before starting work at Jack in the Box, per People.
"Jack-In-The-Box needs to do background checks on employees so as not to expose their customers to someone who would attempt to kill them," Kallinen stated. "These rage cases are getting out of hand in Houston," per CBS Austin.
The Ramos family's attorney stated that the chain restaurant has to evaluate its policy on supervision in an effort to keep customers safe in light of the recently disclosed facts that Ford had previously been accused and entered a guilty plea.
"They may have a policy, but they have to implement those policies. It’s one thing to have a policy and write something down on a piece of paper, it’s another thing to supervise and to check it apparently, they didn’t do that," stated Kallinen in a press meet, per NBC-2.
"We're here today once again to get Jack in the Box, to make their customers safe from people shooting them and killing them," Kallinen noted.
What are the charges against Jack in the Box employee?
Ford was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon before pleading guilty to a lesser charge of deadly conduct.
Ford was subsequently sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication, which she completed in June, according to court documents.
What is the lawsuit seeking?
The lawsuit claims assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence by Ford as an employee at Jack in the Box, and negligence by Jack in the Box in hiring Ford. The family reportedly seeks unspecified damages.
The case is scheduled for trial in Houston in November, according to the Harris County District Clerk's office, reports MySanAntonio.
Viral video of Jack in the Box clash turned meme fest
Meanwhile, the viral video of the Jack in the Box employee Alonniea Ford shooting an irate customer over curry fries has off an online meme frenzy.
A user tweeted, "Me in the car next in line:" along with a picture of a nervous man waiting in the car. "The other employee is like "uhm i'll just leave"..." said another.
Another user shared a hilarious meme and wrote, "The Jack-In-The-Box Employee when a customer tells her they forgot their curly fries:"
"she’s just making sure she has a jack in the box," another user said.
One person said, "Her and her coworker during the shooting." and added a short video where the lady carries a gun in her bag.
