Deputy Marshal Charles Brown was arrested early Saturday in Brooklyn after threatening a McDonald’s employee with a gun. The officer argued with the cashier due to the long time he had waited to get his order. Brown was released without bail, but the judge issued an order of protection on behalf the McDonald’s and the employee.
US Marshal Brown arrived at a McDonald’s restaurant in Brooklyn at 86th Street around 01:20 a.m. Reports say the officer quickly started yelling at the cashier, Joanna Diaz, 41 because he considered he had been waiting in line for too long.
Brown allegedly pulled out his loaded service weapon and pointed it at Diaz. During the argument, the marshal wheeled around and trained his gun on the terrified customers that were inside the McDonalds. Multiple calls to the 911 service reported the incident.
Brown also pointed a 21-year-old man behind him who tried to defend the cashier from his behavior, The New York Post says. Eventually, the Marshal’s order came up, and witnesses reported he paid for his food and fled the establishment.
The 911 calls urged police officers to the fast food restaurant. They searched for Brown, 30, in the surrounding areas and found him not far away from the McDonald’s. He was arrested and charged with menacing, harassment, reckless endangerment, and violating firearm license regulations, according to the New York Post.
The same source says Brown was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court. The judge issued an order of protection on behalf the affected McDonald and Joanna Diaz, although the officer was released without bail.
One of the witnesses, Heather Polamis, said she might not come back to the establishment due to the scary moment she lived early Saturday.
Margaret Johnson, who was also at the McDonalds when Brown pointed the gun, stated that US Marshals are under a lot of pressure and stress because they risk their lives every day.
Diaz did not show Sunday to open the restaurant, the New York Post reports.
Different reports on the story: Brown did not immediately point the gun at the McDonald’s employee
A different version of the story says that Brown left the restaurant after beginning to argue with the cashier and then came back with a gun to threatened her from outside the restaurant, reports News 12 Brooklyn.
The NBC New York say Brown did not threaten Diaz but a 25-year-old male employee. The Washington Times reports the gun was not legal, for which Brown was also charged with criminal possession.
Source: The New York Post