Getty There was a death reported over a Popeye's chicken sandwich.
A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death after a dispute ignited in a line for a Popeyes’ chicken sandwich in Oxon Hill, Maryland, according to a spokesperson for Prince George’s County police. She said that the argument erupted because “somebody cut in front of the other” in line for the popular chicken sandwiches inside the restaurant.
The altercation spilled outside, at which point the victim was fatally stabbed. The suspect is at large. The victim was named as Kevin Tyrell Davis. Police released photos of a suspect and person of interest on November 5:
PoliceThe suspect police are seeking in the Popeyes chicken sandwich stabbing death.
Police
Police Media Relations Director Jennifer Donelan said in a November 4, 2019 press conference that the case was a “homicide.”
“When we lose a life in our county, it is devastating,” she said. “But today’s details…it’s just hard to put into words what happened here.”
At 7 p.m., police received a call for a stabbing at the Popeyes location in Oxon Hill. “There was an argument that began inside the restaurant behind me,” she said, “between two adult males. That argument spilled out into the street. And one male stabbed the other. The victim, a 28 year old man from our area, was rushed to a local hospital.”
InstagramKevin Tyrell Davis
Here’s what you need to know:
Police Say That People Were in Line for the Chicken Sandwiches When the Dispute Erupted
Director Jennifer Donelan update on fatal shooting in 6200 blk of Livingston Rd
A police press release on November 5 stated that Prince George’s County Police Homicide Unit detectives “are asking for the community’s assistance in identifying the man wanted for fatally stabbing 28-year-old Kevin Tyrell Davis of Oxon Hill outside of a local restaurant. In addition to the suspect’s photo, we are also releasing the picture of the woman who he was with in the business. Detectives would like to speak with her.”
Police added: “On November 4th, at approximately 7:00 pm, patrol officers were called to a fast food restaurant in the 6200 block of Livingston Road for the report of a fight. They discovered Davis outside in the parking lot suffering from a single stab wound. The officers grabbed their department-issued trauma kits and provided emergency medical care until an ambulance rushed him to an area hospital. He died a short time later.”
They say an argument ensued in the Popeyes line.
“The preliminary investigation reveals the suspect and victim got into a brief verbal argument after the victim cut in front of several customers waiting to order food. They both then got out of the line, walked out of the front door together and the suspect immediately stabbed Davis. The suspect and the female who he was with then fled the parking lot.”
Officers tried to save the victim’s life at the scene, but he died at the hospital about 51 minutes later, said Donelan.
Police have determined that preliminarily the death is “related to the release of the sandwich here at this restaurant. This individual was in line, a line specifically for the sale of the sandwich when another customer and he got into an altercation and that ended with the victim being stabbed outside of the business,” she said.
Many people were in the store at the time, and Donelan is asking for eyewitnesses. “We’re looking for a male, and that male knows who he is, and he knows what he did here tonight,” she said. She urged the suspect, who remains unidentified, to turn himself in.
Donelan called the man who died an “innocent victim.” She said she had not herself spoken to anyone from Popeyes. “Somebody cut in front of the other… For that type of anger to develop into this type of violence is a very sad and tragic day,” she said.
Earlier, Prince George’s County Police wrote on Twitter that preliminary information shows that, around 7 p.m., officers “responded to 6200 block of Livingston Road for a fight call. Once on scene, they discovered an adult male in the parking lot suffering from stab wounds. The male was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.” Police added in a later tweet, “Detectives are on scene working to establish suspect(s) and motive in this case. If anyone has any information, please call @PGCrimeSolvers 1-866-411-TIPS.” The Broadcastify scanner notation for Prince George’s County reads, “POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS FATAL STABBING @ POPEYES FRIED CHICKEN.”
PIO on scene of a fatal stabbing in the 6200 block of Livingston Road.
The news broke on the evening of November 4, 2019. The restaurant is located at 6247 Livingston Rd. in Maryland, WJLA-TV reported. Oxon Hill, Maryland is a suburb of Washington DC. It’s an unincorporated area located in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
UPDATE: Police confirm a man was stabbed to death tonight at #Popeyes in Oxon Hill Maryland. Sources tell @EvanLambertTV the victim was stabbed after he reportedly cut in line to get the popular #PopeyesChickenSandwich . LIVE report ahead at 10pm #FOX5DC #BREAKING
Here’s what the Popeye’s in Oxon Hill looks like, per Google Maps:
The Popeyes fast food chain restaurant in Oxon Hill.
The chicken sandwich has been sought after since the chain stopped selling it in August 2019, bringing it back on Sunday, November 3, 2019. There were fights and arguments reported around the country. You can see an argument video from a different location later in this article, but be aware that it has graphic and disturbing language.
Tensions Were Running High at Multiple Popeyes’ Restaurants Before the Stabbing Death Occurred
Before news of the stabbing death broke, the New York Daily News reported that multiple reports had flooded social media about angry customers and fights as the chicken sandwich hype continued. The video above shows a man at another Popeyes’ location swearing and yelling at employees. That man, in Harlem, was upset that employees weren’t getting his sandwich fast enough, Daily News reported. “Bring me sandwiches out, man,” the man yells in the video. The language is graphic and disturbing.
Person stabbed to death in Maryland Popeyes after altercation over chicken sandwich, sources say t.co/teTx3ijALR
“I’m so sick of this Popeye’s hype…simmer down people…it’s a freaking sandwich,” wrote one woman on Twitter.
This post is being updated as more information is learned about the chicken stabbing death.