A McDonald's employee is facing assault charges after he was recorded on video beating a patron at one of the fast-food chain's Montgomery County locations.
The 20-year-old employee is wanted for assault, reckless endangerment, terroristic threats and related offenses in the Sept. 6 beating at a McDonald's on the 200 block of West Main Street, in Norristown, according to court documents. NBC10 is not naming the employee because he has not yet been formally charged.
Cellphone video of the attack shows the employee repeatedly punching, kicking and stomping on the downed patron as others shout for him to let him go. "I will f-----g kill you," the employee shouts at one point.
The employee beat the victim so badly that he caused him to lose consciousness, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Police obtained surveillance video from the McDonald's that showed the beating started as the patron was leaving the restaurant after exchanging words with another employee, who had approached him as he sat "with his head down on a dining table," according to the affidavit.
The patron was about to walk through the exit when the suspect, who was waiting at the door with a broom, used the broomstick to hit the victim in the back of the head as he started walking out, the police document said.
The victim turned around and threw a child high chair at the employee, who then threw it back, tackled the victim, and began beating him as he "was defenseless and on the ground," the affidavit said.
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The employee told an officer that he had "blacked out" during the attack, police said. A witness told officers that he stepped in and stopped the assault because he saw the victim lose consciousness.
An employee at the McDonald's where the attack happened told NBC10 that "this is an open investigation," but would not comment further before kicking a reporter out of the restaurant.
NBC10 also went to the last known address of the employee involved in the attack. A woman who answered the door and was wearing a McDonald's uniform apparently knew NBC10 had gone to the restaurant where the attack took place. However, she denied knowing about the beating before turning away a reporter.
