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Florida man arrested after viral video shows him attacking McDonald's employee on New Year's Eve

Many on social media questioned why the violent customer was not kicked out of the store and why the manager continued taking his order.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Police say a man attacked two employees on Monday night at a McDonald's.

The attack happened at the restaurant on 34th Street South near 46th Avenue South.

St. Petersburg police said Daniel Taylor, 40, was arguing with a 20-year-old employee about straws when he grabbed the woman by the shirt and jerked her forward while she was standing behind the counter. Several employees and customers saw the incident, and police say it was captured on video.

The video shows the suspect lunging at the worker and grabbing her by the collar while trying to pull her over the counter. The employee fights him off while managing to deliver a couple of punches to his face.

After the attack, the suspect points his finger at the worker demanding she be fired as a manager finished preparing the customer's order.

"I want her ass fired right now," the suspect says in the video as a manager reads his receipt while other workers clean the mess from the fight. 

"You're fixing to go to jail," the employee responds.

When Taylor was being escorted out of the business by McDonald's management, he kicked another employee in the stomach while she was standing near the door, police say.

Shortly thereafter, there was a report of an unarmed robbery at a Shell station at 1800 34th St. S. When officers arrived, they recognized Taylor from the video.

Taylor was arrested and charged with two counts of simple battery.

“Our highest priority is always the safety and well-being of our employees and customers at our restaurants. We have been in contact with the police department and are fully cooperating with their investigation," McDonald's wrote in a statement.

Credit: St Petersburg Police Dept.
Daniel Taylor

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