Anita Ann Grayson, a 75 year old Black woman, walked into a Fort Wayne, Indiana Tim Hortons on the morning of May 13 to complain about a drive thru order. She did not walk out. Grayson collapsed on the dining room floor minutes after a physical altercation with a 20 year old white shift lead and was pronounced dead at the hospital. No arrests have been made.
The Fort Wayne Police Department released full surveillance video of the incident on Tuesday, May 19, posting it to the department’s YouTube page. Police said they put out the footage to push back against what they called “a dangerously false narrative” circulating online.
According to police, Grayson entered the Tim Hortons at 3975 Ice Way around 8:09 a.m. and began arguing with a 17 year old employee. A 20 year old shift lead stepped between them and told Grayson to leave. Police say Grayson moved toward the teen, the shift lead put her hands up to block her, Grayson shoved her and then struck her in the nose. The shift lead swung back. In the struggle that followed, Grayson scratched the shift lead’s face, knocked off her glasses, pulled her to the ground by the hair and rolled on top of her. Other employees worked to separate them. Police say Grayson pulled out a chunk of the shift lead’s hair before they were pulled apart.
At 8:22 a.m., Grayson laid down on the floor after sitting at a table and talking on her phone. The shift lead brought her a cup of water. By the time officers arrived, she was unresponsive. Medics performed life saving measures and rushed her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.The Allen County Coroner’s Office has not ruled on cause or manner of death. Preliminary autopsy findings noted “no significant contributory injuries.”
Grayson’s family is not accepting the police account. Her daughter Tonda Grayson posted footage to Facebook and called it murder. The family and several Fort Wayne city councilmembers say the department and the city are working to flip the narrative onto the Black woman who died. Some relatives have publicly questioned whether the footage was edited.Councilwoman at large Michelle Chambers (D) put it plainly.
“No human being should go to get coffee and die on the floor from a heart attack,” she said.
Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker has issued a statement saying she is being kept informed. The completed investigative file was sent to the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office for review on Tuesday. Tim Hortons released a statement of condolences and said the local franchisee is cooperating with police.
