An irate DoorDash driver in Indiana was caught on camera spraying a food order he had just delivered with an unknown chemical irritant, and now, local authorities have gotten involved.
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office is trying to identify the DoorDasher based on the offending doorbell camera footage. She appears to be a young woman with blue hair wearing a black fur jacket and a white shirt with jeans.
The woman has not been publicly identified or has not yet been arrested, according to a police statement on the incident.
Marc Cardin he said NBC news that the order was placed on Saturday, December 6 and that the food was delivered shortly after midnight.
Cardin claimed that his and his wife’s evening of watching television was cut short when his wife began choking violently and eventually vomited.
He said he checked the delivery bag and noticed a red substance inside.
“I definitely inhaled some fumes,” Cardin told NBC News. He then went to check the doorbell camera footage and could see that after making the delivery on his porch, the woman looked at the phone and appeared to grimace.
It appears the woman used a spray can, similar to the type that contains pepper spray, to contaminate the food. Pepper spray is red.
Police don’t know why the woman decided to spray her food with the noxious substance, but DoorDash drivers can review orders, including the gratuity they were paid, after indicating to the app that the delivery is complete.
The driver has not yet been named.
@GhostPants/TikTokCardin said a glitch caused his doorbell camera to go blank for a few seconds, then resume just before the spraying began.
Cardin said he tried to contact the DoorDasher, but told NBC News he ended up blocking him. She then called the police and DoorDash to complain about what happened. He told NBC News that his wife’s health improved within 10 minutes of the coughing fit.
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If the video is authentic, Robinson said the driver could face a variety of charges ranging from misdemeanor battery to felony food tampering.
DoorDash told NBC News in a statement that the driver can no longer access its app and that they have been working with law enforcement while pursuing criminal charges.
“We have absolutely zero tolerance for this kind of horrible behavior,” DoorDash’s statement read.
Inhalation of irritants such as pepper spray can cause severe irritation of the throat, lungs and mucous membranes, as well as breathing problems.
The active ingredient, Oleoresin Capsicum, also causes intense burning sensations in the eyes, throat and lungs, causing difficulty breathing and coughing.
Pepper spray causes no long-term health effects and is legal in all 50 states for self-defense. In Indiana, you must be 18 years old to buy pepper spray and have no felony convictions on your record. Indiana also limits the size or concentration of pepper spray cans to 2 ounces.