After an altercation outside a college football stadium where he is said to have chewed a man’s nose, a top executive at the plant-based food firm Beyond Meat has been charged with felony violence.
Following the attack on Saturday in a parking garage outside of a University of Arkansas football game in Fayetteville, Doug Ramsey was also charged with making a terroristic threat.
The front passenger wheel of Ramsey’s Ford Bronco SUV made contact with the vehicle in front of him in a traffic lane, according to a police report. This infuriated Ramsey.
According to the police report, Ramsey got out of his car and punched the other driver’s back windshield. The driver informed police that as soon as he got out of the car, Ramsey drew near and started beating him. According to the police report, Ramsey allegedly bit the tip of the other driver’s nose, shredding the flesh.
According to the driver and witnesses who called the police, Ramsey threatened to kill the other man. The occupants of both cars exited and split the two men apart.
Ramsey, according to court records in Washington County, was freed on an $11,085 bond on Sunday. On October 19, a court appearance is set.
Before joining Beyond Meat as a chief operating officer in late 2017, Ramsey, 53, worked for Tyson Foods, a company based in Springdale, Arkansas, for more than 30 years. He served as head of Tyson’s chicken division and its global McDonald’s business, among other high-ranking posts.
He oversaw collaborations with fast food chains including McDonald’s and KFC at Beyond Meat.
The Associated Press left voicemails and emails for Beyond Meat, but they didn’t get a response.
Tuesday saw a 2% drop in Beyond Meat stock, closing at $16.68, close to its 52-week low of $16.51.
The El Segundo, California-based business has been having trouble this year as customers have avoided its more expensive products due to rising grocery costs. Additionally, McDonald’s recently discontinued a U.S. trial of their meatless McPlant burger, created in partnership with Beyond Meat, without announcing any further intentions for the item.
In August, Beyond Meat let go of 4% of its workers.