A late-night disagreement at a Nashville McDonald’s escalated into a confrontation involving a knife, leading to the arrest of a 38-year-old employee, according to police.
The incident happened shortly before midnight on Sept. 23 at the McDonald’s on Vantage Way Court. Police said the dispute initially began in the drive-thru before the customer went inside to ask for a manager and complain about what had happened.
Inside the restaurant, the woman encountered employee Cedric Johnson, according to an arrest affidavit. Police allege the argument became more heated and Johnson made an insulting remark before taking a knife from his right pants pocket and moving it in front of the woman.
The customer told investigators she was frightened by the encounter and backed away before contacting police. She was not physically injured during the confrontation.
Johnson later acknowledged to police that he had pulled out the knife. His account of the incident differed from the woman’s. According to the affidavit, Johnson said he displayed the knife because the customer was recording him with her cellphone.
The woman gave police a different account, saying she began recording only after Johnson had already displayed the knife. That leaves a key part of the confrontation disputed between the two accounts.
Police arrested Johnson and charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The charge stems from the alleged display of the knife during the confrontation and does not mean the allegations have been proven in court.
The case is scheduled for further court review in November. Until then, the available accounts remain based on the allegations and statements documented in the arrest investigation.
For the customer, what began as an attempt to speak with a manager after a drive-thru disagreement ended with a police investigation. No physical injuries were reported, but the alleged weapon display resulted in a criminal charge against the employee.
