Courtesy photo
Wave Staff Report
LOS ANGELES — Civil rights activists are trying to locate a Black woman who was seen in a video that has since gone viral being slapped by a security guard in a downtown Taco Bell.
The video, which was shot Feb. 9, shows the guard slapping the woman who was ordering food from a self-serve kiosk. The woman seemed stunned by the blow and then walked to another part of the restaurant, still being followed by the guard.
The two had another heated exchange before the guard escorted the woman out.
“Our coalition of civil rights leaders are demanding accountability from Taco Bell leadership and want a meeting with [CEO Sean] Tresvant to discuss customer safety and improved security measures to ensure that customers aren’t assaulted by Taco Bell security along with the arrest and prosecution of the security guard responsible for the assault,” said Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic Hope, in a statement. “Our organizations have volunteers in search of the victim who may be homeless.”
The video was taken by Alejandro Sanchez, who told reporters “the security guard was telling her to leave and she didn’t want to because she was ordering food. Then he just went off and she started going crazy.”
Sanchez said the guard appeared to slap the woman hard.
“It was crazy,” he said. “Everybody was shocked.”
Sanchez, who said he regularly goes to the Taco Bell Cantina at Seventh and Flower streets downtown, said the guard may have thought the woman was homeless because of the Taco Bell’s proximity to Skid Row, a few blocks to the east.
He also said Taco Bell employees that were present seemed to be more concerned about him filming the incident on his phone “than the fact that their security guard just smacked someone.”
Ali said that no one knows who the woman that got slapped is.
“We’ve tried reaching out to her to let her know what her legal options are,” Ali said. “But we haven’t been able to find her.”
