A Beyond Meat executive is put on leave after being accused of biting a man’s nose during a brawl
After an altercation outside a college football stadium, a top executive of plant-based food firm Beyond Meat was charged with felony violence for biting a man on the nose.
After 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.
On Tuesday, Beyond Meat announced Ramsey’s indefinite suspension.
The other driver allegedly made contact with Ramsey’s Ford Bronco SUV’s front passenger wheel after squeezing in front of him in traffic, which reportedly enraged Ramsey.
The police report states that Ramsey exited his vehicle and punched the back windshield out of the other driver’s vehicle. The motorist said to police that he got out of his vehicle that Ramsey immediately drew him close and started striking him. According to the police complaint, Ramsey also bit the other driver’s nose, causing serious injury.
Several eyewitnesses, including the driver, reported to police that Ramsey had threatened to kill the other man. Both vehicles’ occupants exited their vehicles and physically separated the males.
Sunday, Ramsey posted $11,085 bond and was freed from custody, per court documents from Washington County. On October 19, you will be required to appear in court. On Tuesday, court officials did not give Ramsey’s name or the name of his attorney.
After more than 30 years with Tyson Foods in Springdale, Arkansas, Ramsey, now 53, joined Beyond Meat as COO in the latter half of 2018. At Tyson, he served in several executive capacities, including as president of the chicken sector and president of McDonald’s international.
He has overseen Beyond Meat’s collaborations with McDonald’s, Panda Express, and KFC, among others.
According to a statement released by Beyond Meat, Jonathan Nelson, the company’s senior vice president for manufacturing operations, will take temporary charge of business operations.
On Tuesday, shares of Beyond Meat fell to a 52-week low of $15.97, before recovering to close at $16.03. The stock price has dropped by more than 75% since the beginning of the year.
Due to rising grocery costs, consumers have largely avoided El Segundo, California-based firm’s more expensive offerings. Also, without confirming any further plans for the product, McDonald’s recently ended a U.S. trial of its McPlant meatless burger, which it co-developed with Beyond Meat.
In August, Beyond Meat terminated the jobs of 4% of its workers.