A customer in Louisiana did not, in fact, 'love that chicken from Popeyes' — at least not the way it was served to her.
What should have been a routine food order turned into a police matter after a woman claimed she was attacked with piping hot chicken by a restaurant manager.
According to local outlet KLFY, Lafayette resident Shena Decuir stated that the incident occurred at a local Popeyes after she used the mobile app to place her order. When she arrived, she noticed the order was incorrect and went back through the drive-thru to have it fixed.
That’s when, she claims, tensions rose between her and the manager on duty.
Decuir explained that the manager asked her to wait more than 25 minutes for fresh chicken, despite her already waiting half an hour for the wrong order. Frustrated, she requested a refund instead.
“I was assaulted,” Decuir told reporters. “I was belittled. I mean, it was a horrible experience, and no one should have to go through that.”
She said the manager demanded she return the chicken before processing the refund but refused to provide a receipt. When Decuir pressed the issue, the manager allegedly threw the hot chicken at her. The food reportedly caused first-degree burns to her neck, chest, arms, legs, and feet.
Police were called, and EMTs treated Decuir at the scene. She added that as someone still recovering from a severe accident and living with disabilities, the incident left her feeling especially vulnerable.
“I’m glad it happened on camera,” she said. “What would happen if there wouldn’t have been cameras? And I’m helpless. I was by myself. It’s unacceptable.”
Lafayette police confirmed that the Popeyes employee was arrested and charged with simple battery. The company later posted a job opening for a new manager position but declined to issue a formal statement.
For Decuir, who said she usually chose this Popeyes location to avoid problems she had experienced elsewhere, the incident has now turned into an ongoing legal battle as she deals with the physical and emotional aftermath.