(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Trevor Hockaday, a 22-year-old McDonald’s employee in Kansas, has been charged with aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer after he allegedly put peroxide-based cleaner in a police officer’s drink.
According to reports, Hockaday was charged with one count of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer on Wednesday, September 26, after he allegedly poured a peroxide-based cleaner into an Allen County Deputy’s drink on September 12.
The Wichita Eagle reports that Allen County Sheriff Bryan Murphy ordered an iced tea or a Coke through the drive-through at the Iola McDonald’s that Hockday worked at and later experienced flu-like symptoms after Hockaday added “four squirts” of the cleaner to his drink.
via Wichita Eagle:
Murphy said he would be even more upset if the victim were a member of the general public or a child instead of one of his deputies.
Murphy said that when he contacted the McDonald’s regional office in Joplin, Mo., he was told Hockaday had been suspended after an internal investigation but law enforcement was never contacted. Under Kansas law, adulterating or contaminating “any food, raw agricultural commodity, beverage, drug, animal feed, plant or public water supply” is a felony.
The local manager had not told regional or corporate managers about the incident, a regional restaurant official said, according to Murphy. The sheriff said a McDonald’s official told him it was not their procedure to contact law enforcement when tainted food is reported, but they would work to change their policy.
The peroxide-based cleaner is commonly used to clean the restaurant’s counters.
Glen Nichols, the owner of the Iola-based McDonald’s, released the following statement:
“In our restaurants, nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of our customers. We are very disappointed by the allegations made regarding the behavior of one of our former crew members. This kind of behavior goes against our food safety standards and is not tolerated. Our organization will take all appropriate measures to gather facts and will work closely with authorities in their investigation.”
If convicted, Hockaday faces more than 20 years in prison.
Allen County Sheriff’s Office