A Burger King employee in Cleveland narrowly escaped danger after a customer held him at gunpoint because he didn’t like a $3 discount on his meal.
Howard Vernon, 38, was working the drive-thru on Easter morning when a customer ordered two sausage egg and cheese croissants, a sausage biscuit, and hash browns around 9, the employee told Cleveland 19.
The customer’s total bill amounted to approximately $8, which was $3 lower than usual because of a promotional offer in effect at the time.
“He was like: ‘My order can’t be right it should be like $11,’ and I’m like trying to explain to him that we had a promotion going on and it’s cheaper, and he started cussing and getting all loud,” father of 10 Vernon explained.
“I was like I don’t know what to tell you I don’t know why you want to pay more money,” he continued.
“To know that somebody would do something like that just because I’m trying to give you a better deal and it flip out like that, it is scary.”
The customer initially drove off the Willowick location but returned minutes later, pulling up alongside the pick-up window where another car was waiting for their order.
During this time, Vernon was assisting another customer.
The suspect, who remains unidentified, pulled a gun on him threatening Vernon’s life, and used racial slurs. The perpetrator is currently at large.
“At the end of the day, it was about some bread and sausage sandwiches at 9 o’clock in the morning on Easter and you’re that mad, you’d put a gun in somebody’s face?” Vernon questioned.
“After I thought about it afterwards, it had me shook up a little bit… what if he did shoot me and kill me you know? I have 10 kids! I would have been leaving all my kids,” Vernon said.
Despite not feeling fear during the incident, Vernon has not returned to work since but intends to do so.
The Willowick Police Department is still searching for the suspect, described as driving a dark Honda vehicle.
