A video is circulating of a restaurant owner in Michigan being brutally beaten by a DoorDash driver after the owner refused to serve him. The assault has triggered outrage in the community and led to the arrest of the driver. The victim, Jose Perez of Amigo Street Tacos, was attacked on April 12 and stemmed from a dispute over the DoorDash driver using the restaurant’s bathroom, which was at the time out of service because it was not connected to the water.
The attacker, identified as Daveon Jahmel Godbold, went to the restaurant in St. Clair Shores on Saturday evening to pick up an order. Upon arrival, he headed to the bathroom, allegedly ignoring the out-of-order sign.
According to a news outlet, the 40-year-old restaurant owner said that he told Godbold he would not give him the order when he came to the counter for pickup.
Perez reportedly expressed to Godbold that what he did in the bathroom was not right, and then moved the order further away from his reach. However, Godbold grabbed the order, causing a scuffle between the two. The restaurant’s security camera captured the struggle. Amid the conflict, Godbold reportedly got hold of the food and threw it on the ground.
He then, according to Perez, started acting violently in the restaurant, prompting the owner to call the police. The DoorDash driver then left the business place, but before he smashed a window by kicking. This violent behaviour led Perez to alert DoorDash of the incident.
The surveillance footage also shows the moment Godbold returned with an accomplice, who jumped over the counter and started beating Perez alongside Godbold. The two men kicked the owner and landed several punches.
Perez suffered multiple injuries, including swelling to his head and wounds on his back and knee. The 20-year-old accused, who is a resident of Eastpointe, was later apprehended by police during a traffic stop near the restaurant. While the police continued to search for his accomplice, St Clair Shores Police Department booked Godbold into the Macomb County Jail.
Godbold is facing multiple charges, including unarmed robbery, resisting and obstructing, malicious destruction of property, aggravated assault and delivery and manufacture of marijuana, according to WXYZ Detroit. His arraignment was on Tuesday, and he has a $25,000 bond. Reports detail that he will be required to wear a GPS tether if he posts bail.
