FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WRTV) — No arrests have been made after an older woman who became involved in a physical fight with employees at a Tim Hortons died from her injuries.
The altercation reportedly happened around 8:09 a.m. May 13.
The Fort Wayne Police Department says its officers were dispatched to the Tim Hortons, a coffee shop, at 3975 Ice Way, after receiving a report of an “altercation involving a reported battery.”
The injured woman, 75-year-old Anita Grayson, was unresponsive when officers arrived.
Medics immediately started lifesaving measures, though Grayson later died after arriving at a hospital.
Investigators on Tuesday released an updated narrative after reviewing security camera footage and speaking with witnesses.
According to police, Grayson walked into the Tim Horton’s to explain an issue she had with her drive-thru order.
At some point, Grayson began “berating” a 17-year-old employee, prompting a 20-year-old shift lead to intervene.
The shift lead repeatedly asked Grayson to leave, even placing her hands on Johnson to prevent her from getting close to the teen employee.
Then a fight broke out.
“Grayson forcefully shoved the shift lead backward, then struck the shift lead on the left side of the nose with her right hand,” police said. “At that point, the shift lead reacted and moved toward Grayson while swinging her arms in an attempt to strike her.”
As the fight continued, Grayson reportedly left scratches on the shift lead’s face, knocked off her glasses, then grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the ground.
Two other employees moved in to pull Grayson off the shift lead, but struggled to get Grayson’s hand out of the shift lead’s hair. Grayson did pull a chunk of the shift lead’s hair at some point, “leaving a raw area on the top of her head.”
After separating the women, the employees returned behind the counter, and Grayson sat at a table and started talking on her phone. Police said Grayson was caught on camera picking up the shift lead’s hair and putting it in her bag.
At 8:22 a.m., Grayson moved to lie on the floor, prompting two employees – including the shift lead – to check on her. When a police officer arrived, Grayson was already unresponsive.
Fort Wayne PD says Grayson’s cause of death has not been determined, and it understands public concern rising from this case.
“FWPD initially released limited information about this case out of respect for Ms. Grayson’s family and in an effort to avoid causing additional distress following the tragic loss of a loved one. However, a dangerously false narrative, along with poor-quality video circulating publicly, has led to significant public concern and misinformation,” they said.
(We) understand the public concern surrounding this case. We also recognize the importance of transparency, accuracy, and allowing the investigative and prosecutorial review process to proceed based on the full body of evidence, not incomplete video clips or inaccurate public narratives.”
