Police in Prince George’s County, Maryland, have released photos of a man suspected of fatally stabbing another customer who was cutting in line for one of Popeyes’ popular chicken sandwiches Monday evening.
The photos, which were taken from restaurant surveillance camera footage, show the suspect, as well as a woman who was seen with him. She is wanted for questioning.
Prince George’s County police Chief Hank Stawinski called the stabbing a “pointless crime” and pleaded with anyone who recognized the two to contact police.
“What bothers me about this … is that there are families and children in this restaurant as this is unfolding,” Stawinski said. “And they’ve been exposed to this now as well. This is pointless. This is disrespectful. And that’s why I’m asking for our community’s help to provide information to our detectives so we can bring a quick resolution to this case.”
The man who was stabbed was identified as 28-year-old Kevin Tyrell Davis.
Stawinski said Davis entered the Popeyes on Livingston Road in Oxon Hill, Maryland, about 7 p.m. Monday, then began “methodically” cutting in front of the dozens of other people already waiting in line. When the man reached the counter, another customer — the man seen in the surveillance camera footage — confronted him.
Stawinski said “15 seconds” later, the confrontation spilled out on the sidewalk in front of the store and the man stabbed Davis. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
Stawinski said the man suspected in the stabbing and the woman he was with may also have had two young children with them. The man and the woman fled the restaurant in a vehicle.
“The question my detectives have to answer is: How does a confrontation lead to a homicide in 15 seconds?” Stawinski said. “I know this story has gone far beyond the borders of my home, and people are asking how can something so pointless occur?”
The stabbing came the day after Popeyes resumed selling its popular chicken sandwich. The new menu item was a sensation when the restaurant first launched it in August, causing long lines and leading the chain to run out of its supply by the end of the month.
