Food delivery driver ‘pointed loaded gun’ at teen customer ‘for rushing him’
A FOOD delivery driver allegedly pointed a loaded gun at a 16-year-old customer for “rushing” him, court documents say.
Thomas Alexander Gray, 29 – who worked for the Favor app when he allegedly brandished a handgun – was charged on February 10, reports say.
The teen customer had texted him several times asking where his food was before he arrived, according to an affidavit.
The unsuspecting client working at the Texas Rowing Center in Austin had ordered a tasty treat for his afternoon break, reports Statesman.
Cops say Gray pulled into the center’s parking lot with the food and a semi-automatic handgun on his lap.
He then allegedly then grabbed the firearm and a loaded magazine, before chambering a round and pointing the gun at the teen.
‘DON’T RUSH PEOPLE!’
According to court documents, Gray said: “You wouldn’t like it if someone rushed you, would you?”
“You really shouldn’t rush people because it might ruin your day.”
The 16-year-old told cops he was “frozen with fear” but didn’t run away.
He said he thought he was going to be shot dead during the September 8 incident, states the affidavit.
The suspect then allegedly put the gun in a red bag and handed over the food before driving away.
BRANDISHING A WEAPON
The teen told cops he texted the driver “Where are you” as his break time approached and got “What up” in response.
When he texted “Are you close,” he received a thumbs-up emoji for a reply before the shocking incident.
“Why does the time keep getting longer it was supposed to be 3:54 the 4:05 the 4:08 now it’s 4:11,” he texted again, states the affidavit.
The driver then said he had the food and they met in the rowing center parking lot.
Court records state Gray then began “waving the gun around while pointing it in the general direction” of the teenager.
Favor reportedly prohibits its drivers from carrying guns on the job.
REPORTING THE INCIDENT
The app blocked Gray’s access to it on the day of the incident after the customer reported it, according to KXAN.
Austin PD said a detective working on the case didn’t get a response from the food delivery service until October.
But Favor said a support representative referred the detective to the company’s safety team in September.
They told the publication they worked alongside the investigator through to mid-October.
Favor reportedly helped local authorities to identify Gray as the driver via the app data.
APD said cases that involve multiple entities can take “more time to work through.”
“Response times from any app-based services can vary depending on the case and request,” they told the publication.
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The Sun reached out to Favor for comment on Wednesday afternoon.
Gray was arrested five months after the incident and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon – a second-degree felony.
On Tuesday, Gray was in the Travis County Correctional Complex with bail set at $30,000, jail records show.
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