Police in Prince George’s County, Maryland, have released details in the arrest of a man charged with fatally stabbing another customer who cut in line at a Popeyes earlier this month.
Ricoh McClain, 30, of District Heights, was arrested early Thursday at the residence of an acquaintance on Nova Avenue in Capitol Heights, police said.
The arrest came 10 days after police released photos of McClain taken inside the Oxon Hill restaurant before the stabbing, and pleaded with the public to help identify and locate him.
The police don’t expect to charge anyone at the residence.
Investigators received several tips from community members, but Prince George’s County police Chief Hank Stawinski, speaking during a news conference Thursday afternoon, credited good detective work with tracking down McClain.
“It was their diligent work that ultimately led us to Nova Avenue and to the apprehension in this case,” said Stawinski.
Contrary to “rumors circulating around social media,” the chief also said there is no indication McClain knew 28-year-old Kevin Tyrell Davis before the two encountered each other at the Popeyes in Oxon Hill on Nov. 4.
A dispute about Davis cutting in line escalated into a confrontation in front of the Popeyes. McClain then stabbed Davis in front of the restaurant and fled, according to police.
“Deadly violence erupted in 15 seconds,” Stawinski said.
On Thursday, police said the stabbing was also captured on surveillance video and that, during a police interrogation, McClain placed himself at the Popeyes at the time of the stabbing and “corroborated the account we have on video,” Stawinski said.
Police spokeswoman Jennifer Donelan said there was no suggestion that the suspect acted in self-defense.
“This was captured on video. There’s a reason he’s been charged with first-degree murder,” Donelan said.
McClain has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment.
The stabbing, which came just days after the fast food restaurant rereleased its popular chicken sandwich, garnered international media coverage.
During the news conference Thursday, Stawinski criticized some of the media attention, saying it had “marginalized the grief” of the victim’s family.
“I am disturbed by the fact that this has been taken by in sort of a lighthearted fashion,” Stawinski said of some of the media coverage. “It’s about the death of a person.”
Initially, police released photos of a woman who was seen with McClain in line at the Popeyes before the stabbing. At the time, police said they only wanted to question her. Speaking Thursday, Stawinski said police do not expect anyone else to be charged in the stabbing.
