A late-night stop at a Wendy's in Kansas City, Missouri, ended in gunfire after a dispute in the drive-thru allegedly escalated between a customer and the restaurant’s manager.
According to KansasCity.com, authorities say Terrence R. Phillips, 47, shot a customer outside the restaurant on March 20, then hid the weapon inside a walk-in freezer before police arrived.
Clay County prosecutors have charged Phillips with first-degree assault, armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon. The shooting happened around 11:15 p.m. at a Wendy's location on North Oak Trafficway in Kansas City’s Northland area. Officers responding to the victim’s nearby apartment found him lying on the ground and “bleeding profusely” from the chest while a witness attempted to stop the bleeding with a towel.
According to investigators, the customer had gone to Wendy's to pick up food for his family. He told police he was instructed to pull up to the drive-thru window before placing his order because the restaurant was preparing fresh chicken near closing time.
The customer said he was confused by the request and received what he described as a rude response from Phillips when he asked for clarification.
After receiving his order, the customer said his drinks spilled inside the car. He drove back through the drive-thru to complain, but claimed employees refused to speak with him. As he exited the parking lot, he allegedly saw Phillips standing near a vehicle outside the restaurant. The customer told detectives that Phillips pointed a gun and fired once, striking him in the back. The bullet exited through the middle of his chest.
Investigators say surveillance footage appears to support that account. Court documents state that video shows Phillips leaving the restaurant, approaching his vehicle, and then a faint muzzle flash appearing moments later. He is then allegedly seen returning to the building with what appeared to be a black handgun tucked into his pocket.
When officers searched the restaurant, they found a black Glock 22 handgun hidden inside the walk-in freezer. Authorities later discovered the weapon had been reported stolen from a Norfolk Police Department, though investigators have not publicly identified which state the gun came from.
Phillips admitted to police that he argued with the customer but denied firing a weapon. He told detectives the customer returned to the drive-thru and began shouting racial slurs at him before following him outside. Phillips said he had stepped out because the hatch of his vehicle was open and told the customer to leave.
“Phillips stated that he did not shoot anyone, does not know anything about a gun or why there would be a gun that was recovered in the restaurant,” investigators wrote in charging documents.
Phillips reportedly has multiple prior felony convictions involving drugs and weapons in Texas. He is being held in the Clay County Jail on a $1 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court on March 31.
