Police Officer Sues Taco Bell Over Spicy Quesadilla

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**d-usa**

And now for something completely different:

An Oklahoma City police officer claims workers at local Taco Bell restaurant put cologne and spicy chipotle in his steak quesadilla, causing severe burns to his throat.

The police officer, Shawn Byrne, and wife Amanda Byrne have filed a lawsuit against Taco Bell, seeking more than $75,000 in damages after he claims he was forced to take weeks of sick leave after the incident.

Spoiler:

I wrestled over whether this too-hot lawsuit was Oklahoma Vice material before writing this blog post. But after some soul-searching, I decided that Taco Bell can definitely be considered a vice.

Shawn Byrne allegedly ordered a steak quesadilla and a Mountain Dew in the drive through of the Taco Bell at W Hefner and N Rockwell one night in February after helping organize a charity event at a local church, according to the lawsuit, which the Byrneses filed March 31 in federal court in Oklahoma City.

I reached out to Taco Bell's corporate office for the company's side of the story, but there was no response.

"After the person at the window took his order, he went over to two men employees and said something to them. They all looked over at him and started laughing," the police officer claims in his lawsuit. "A few minutes later, the order taker brought his order and said he was sorry for the delay."

Shawn Byrne claims his "tongue, throat and the roof of his mouth began burning" after the third bite of the quesadilla.

His mouth and eye were still burning the next morning, so he went to the doctor. An examination revealed "burned spots on his throat," Shawn Byrne claim in his lawsuit.

The police officer claims he could not work because of the burns and has had to take more than 127 hours of sick leave from the police department and has also missed 68 hours of extra jobs that were scheduled. Less than two weeks after eating the sandwich, Shawn Byrne developed appendicitis and had to have surgery, which his doctor said could have been caused or exacerbated by the spicy quesadilla.

The police officer kept the rest of the sandwich and had it tested, which showed it contained cologne and a "high concentration of pepper," the lawsuit claims.

Shawn Byrne reported the spicy quesadilla to Oklahoma City Police, who further investigated.

The department's initial investigation revealed that two of the three Taco Bell employees who laughed at him are felons. Further, the video showed the order taker dropping the packaging for his food on the floor, picking it up, and
nevertheless putting his food in it and handing it to him," the lawsuit claims.

In an interview, one Taco Bell worker allegedly admitted that straight chipotle, instead of quesadilla sauce, was put on the sandwich.

**kronk**

At first I was all, haha!

then:

Less than two weeks after eating the sandwich, Shawn Byrne developed appendicitis and had to have surgery, which his doctor said could have been caused or exacerbated by the spicy quesadilla.

+

In an interview, one Taco Bell worker allegedly admitted that straight chipotle, instead of quesadilla sauce, was put on the sandwich.

Back up the money truck and pay the man, Taco Bell. Your boys done fethed up.

**oldravenman3025**

Crap like this is why I packed my own lunches, or lived out of a can on the beat, when I was a cop. There were people who had a bad habit in fast food joints to spit, or put boogers, in a cop's sandwich. In a town south of where I worked, an employee at a local Hardee's was caught stirring a cop's Coke with his pecker, and was promptly fired.

**cuda1179**

It reminds me of a case that happened at a KFC in Omaha, Nebraska.

A new employee noticed a couple other guys tampering with a customer's food and reported it to the manager. Manager says "it's what we do to cops" or something to that effect. They saved the rancid old chicken and soaked it in a bucket of pee. Needless to say, the cop and his family got sick.

New employee became a whistle blower, and was a witness at the civil trial, where they only sued for medical costs. KFC's response? Fire the whistleblower, keep cruddy employees and manager.

**sebster**

What are the odds that six months from now this story will be reduced to 'cop sues over spicy meal' and added to every list of bad lawsuits on the internet? Somehow those lists will just happen to exclude the bit where cologne was added to the meal, and it forced the guy to have a month off work?

**d-usa**

sebster wrote:
What are the odds that six months from now this story will be reduced to 'cop sues over spicy meal' and added to every list of bad lawsuits on the internet? Somehow those lists will just happen to exclude the bit where cologne was added to the meal, and it forced the guy to have a month off work?

It's just like that lady suing over a hot coffee though...

**Peregrine**

Can we change the title of the thread to "police officer sues Taco Bell over contaminated food", since this was way more than just a spicy meal?

**spiralingcadaver**

Yeah, I remember thinking that thing about some woman complaining about mcdonalds' hot coffee was a farce, until some years later I saw the actual context and burns, and it was pretty obviously dangerously negligent. Feels about the same.

**Grey Templar**

spiralingcadaver wrote:
Yeah, I remember thinking that thing about some woman complaining about mcdonalds' hot coffee was a farce, until some years later I saw the actual context and burns, and it was pretty obviously dangerously negligent. Feels about the same.

There's a difference between negligence and deliberate sabotage. This case looks like a case of sabotage.

The coffee incident was still a bit of a case of dumb dumb on the part of the victim not being careful. Coffee even at normal temperatures can cause burns, and she should have been a little more careful. This case is different in that it was deliberate food poisoning.

They'd only be comparable if the coffee lady had had her coffee deliberately made far too hot with the intention of causing bodily harm.

**Ahtman**

Grey Templar wrote:
The coffee incident was still a bit of a case of dumb dumb on the part of the victim not being careful. Coffee even at normal temperatures can cause burns, and she should have been a little more careful.

This is a good bit of satire showing how people ignorant of the reality of the incident spread incorrect statements about what happened. Nicely done.

But seriously that case wasn't nearly that simple.

**squidhills**

Ahtman wrote:
Grey Templar wrote:
The coffee incident was still a bit of a case of dumb dumb on the part of the victim not being careful. Coffee even at normal temperatures can cause burns, and she should have been a little more careful.

But seriously that case wasn't nearly that simple.

Yeah, no kidding. She didn't spill the coffee as much as the coffee cup failed it's saving throw vs disintegration and abruptly ceased to exist (due to how hot the coffee was). The coffee had to go somewhere, and it went on her. At it's temperature, it had an effect not too far removed from that of napalm.

**curran12**

squidhills wrote:
Ahtman wrote:
Grey Templar wrote:
The coffee incident was still a bit of a case of dumb dumb on the part of the victim not being careful. Coffee even at normal temperatures can cause burns, and she should have been a little more careful.

But seriously that case wasn't nearly that simple.

Yeah, no kidding. She didn't spill the coffee as much as the coffee cup failed it's saving throw vs disintegration and abruptly ceased to exist (due to how hot the coffee was). The coffee had to go somewhere, and it went on her. At it's temperature, it had an effect not too far removed from that of napalm.

But if we know the facts, how can we be smug about how dumb people are?! We'd have to actually critically think or something! D:

**Ouze**

sebster wrote:
What are the odds that six months from now this story will be reduced to 'cop sues over spicy meal' and added to every list of bad lawsuits on the internet?

I know Ahtman already pointed it out, but man, even for the OT this turned out to be remarkable prescient in record time - like, not even 5 posts.

**Grey Templar**

Ahtman wrote:
Grey Templar wrote:
The coffee incident was still a bit of a case of dumb dumb on the part of the victim not being careful. Coffee even at normal temperatures can cause burns, and she should have been a little more careful.

This is a good bit of satire showing how people ignorant of the reality of the incident spread incorrect statements about what happened. Nicely done.

But seriously that case wasn't nearly that simple.

Holding hot coffee between your knees while trying to open the lid still puts a sizable chunk of the blame on her. Regardless of McDonalds having made the coffee too hot or not.

By her own request, she only wanted compensation for the medical bills. The dumbness comes in when the jury decided to give her above and beyond that.

So yes, she was still on the "pretty dumb" side of the scale. I'd say both her and McDonalds were equally at fault. Them for having the coffee too hot(even though it was in response to customer demand), and her for lack of basic critical thinking that you shouldn't hold a flimsy cup of what you know is hot liquid between your legs. A task which is roughly equal to trying to pick up a delicate crystal glass while wearing boxing gloves.

**Ouze**

If someone wants to stick with their own internal version of a liability case that is 23 years old, maybe we could save everyone's time by not trying to explain it to them.

**sebster**

Ouze wrote:
I know Ahtman already pointed it out, but man, even for the OT this turned out to be remarkable prescient in record time - like, not even 5 posts.

I think I might have been on the internet too long. I read the thread and just knew where this was going.

So the question now is whether I've been on the internet long enough that I can finally resist responding when someone brings up the same damn arguments all over again. Well so far so good, but I'm wavering, man...

**squidhills**

Grey Templar wrote:

By her own request, she only wanted compensation for the medical bills. The dumbness comes in when the jury decided to give her above and beyond that.

If you don't know why the jury awarded her the sum they did, then don't comment on the case. The reason she was awarded such a sum (the full amount of which has still never been disclosed to the public, btw) was because of actions McDonald's took. It was what is known as punitive damages in the legal world. McDonalds did a bad, bad thing and got caught. The jury said "pay this very large sum of $$ so that you'll think twice before doing that bad thing again."

The plaintiff's actions were not a factor in that thing McDonalds did, or why McDonalds was punished.

**SagesStone**

cuda1179 wrote:
It reminds me of a case that happened at a KFC in Omaha, Nebraska.

A new employee noticed a couple other guys tampering with a customer's food and reported it to the manager. Manager says "it's what we do to cops" or something to that effect. They saved the rancid old chicken and soaked it in a bucket of pee. Needless to say, the cop and his family got sick.

New employee became a whistle blower, and was a witness at the civil trial, where they only sued for medical costs. KFC's response? Fire the whistleblower, keep cruddy employees and manager.

Isn't that a pretty big felony otherwise? Like huge fines and having that restaurant very very likely closed? And that would be on top of whatever medical costs it had caused.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

I once made a Curry with three Scotch Bonnet.

I won't be doing that again. Ever.

**CptJake**

kronk wrote:
At first I was all, haha!

then:

Less than two weeks after eating the sandwich, Shawn Byrne developed appendicitis and had to have surgery, which his doctor said could have been caused or exacerbated by the spicy quesadilla.

+

In an interview, one Taco Bell worker allegedly admitted that straight chipotle, instead of quesadilla sauce, was put on the sandwich.

Back up the money truck and pay the man, Taco Bell. Your boys done fethed up.

I'm honestly surprised Taco Bell stocks the ingredients to make something too spicy. I didn't think they actually had 'straight chipotle' (which I assume is the actual peppers but may be wrong). I thought all they had were their various sauces and processed stuff, none of which is that spicy to me.

Adding cologne to the mix (if the employees actually did) is really bad. I could see charges related to poisoning for that.

**kronk**

CptJake wrote:

Adding cologne to the mix (if the employees actually did) is really bad. I could see charges related to poisoning for that.

I hadn't thought of that. That is poisoning.

**d-usa**

I taste cologne if I even spray it anywhere near my face with my mouth open, so it's somewhat hard for me to believe that they poured it into his food without him noticing for at least three bites.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Depends how spicy it was.

Remember, capsicum numbs - and if you're in pain, then taste goes out the window.

**redleger**

d-usa wrote:
I taste cologne if I even spray it anywhere near my face with my mouth open, so it's somewhat hard for me to believe that they poured it into his food without him noticing for at least three bites.

There is also the more likely possibility that they put the concentration on one end, instead of in the middle, so that first huge bite was nothing but pure chipotle and cologne.

This gak here is why I eat on post, or out of a can. I literally got called a war criminal the other day so I know the uniform is still hated. I hope Taco Bell pays all the Money, I mean like empties their bank account, entire store fired, rehired and start over from scratch. Nuke it from orbit, its the only way to be sure. (that was metaphorical, I am not condoning the nuking of a Taco Bell from orbit)

**jmurph**

Wait Taco Bell is food?

Yeah, this is really bad and those employees should be prosecuted in addition to TB covering bills. This was a deliberate, malicious act that result in injury. Feeding people non-food items and items that they know will be uncomfortable/dangerous is truly reprehensible. I also can't help but feel that it was motivated by him being an officer and that some of these guys were felons.

**Mr. Burning**

Prosecute them for poisoning.

Slap the manager/franchise holder with whatever food hygiene action is applicable.

The workers being felons isn't the issue, that they were gak heads is. They have probably been responsible for contaminating other orders as well.

**Dreadclaw69**

Peregrine wrote:
Can we change the title of the thread to "police officer sues Taco Bell over contaminated food", since this was way more than just a spicy meal?

In a rare turn of events I was on the same page as you, but then when I clicked the link the actual news report had that title. So while this thread is an accurate reflection of the title that does not take away from the original article's dis-ingenuousness

**Vaktathi**

Thus is the fate of those that choose their meals...poorly.

Never eat at taco bell. This should just be a general common sense thing, like fast food 101.

The only allowable exceptions are for 18-24 year olds, between the hours of 10pm and 2am, who are *reaaaaalllly* high and have no other options.

**Ouze**

d-usa wrote:
I taste cologne if I even spray it anywhere near my face with my mouth open, so it's somewhat hard for me to believe that they poured it into his food without him noticing for at least three bites.

Eh, my guess is if you spray it on the tortilla first and then pack it up, wrap it, and then package it, you wouldn't - also consider maybe it was the drip kind and not the spray kind.

I saw how long he was out for, and was a little dubious, but, if one employee straight up admitted it then there isn't really any reason to doubt it.

**d-usa**

The big dubious claim for me is the appendicitis.

But you'll never find any physician that would tell a court "yes, there is no way on earth this food had anything to do with his appendicitis". So any medical person will always tell you "yeah, it could have been related". And in a civil suit that will be enough.

I don't know that corporate should be on the hook for anything there, but that's the cost of doing business I guess.