A 38-year-old McDonald’s employee is facing a felony charge after police say he pulled a knife on a customer and told her to “go and die” during a late-night dispute that began over a drive-thru order. Cedric Johnson was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following the confrontation, which unfolded just before midnight Wednesday at the McDonald’s on Vantage Way Court in Nashville.
According to WSMV, the argument started in the drive-thru lane before the customer went inside to report the dispute to a manager. Instead of a manager, she encountered Johnson, who told her to “go and die, fat b****,” police records state. He then pulled a knife from his right pants pocket and, per the arrest affidavit, wielded it in front of her in a circular motion without saying anything further.
The McDonald’s is on Vantage Way Court in Nashville. Metro Nashville Police Department has a North Precinct, according to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.
Customer Says She Was Terrified, Started Recording
The customer told police she was scared once Johnson brandished the knife, and she began filming him with her phone as the confrontation continued, per the station’s report. She called police after the encounter. In arrest documents, Johnson admitted to pulling the knife on the customer and said he did it because he wanted her to stop filming him.
Tennessee is a single-party consent state, meaning individuals generally have the legal right to record interactions in public or customer-accessible spaces without the other party’s permission, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The customer began filming during the confrontation.
Aggravated Assault Charge Involves a Deadly Weapon
Johnson faces a felony charge. Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-102, intentional or knowing aggravated assault involving the display or use of a deadly weapon is a Class C felony, carrying a sentence of 3 to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000, according to Justia Law.
The statute requires an assault, as defined in another section of Tennessee law, in addition to the use or display of a deadly weapon.
Case Heads to Court in November
A judge is scheduled to review Johnson’s case in November.
It remains unclear whether the McDonald’s location had working security cameras inside the restaurant or whether Johnson had any prior disciplinary or criminal history. What corporate safety measures McDonald’s enforces for overnight drive-thru staff also hasn’t been detailed in available records.
