At Hilton Head Island Dunkin’ Donuts, discussion of work ethic leads to punch

An apparent argument over the lack of a work ethic led a Hilton Head Island Dunkin’ Donuts employee to punch a colleague in the face Saturday, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office renews release.

A deputy responded to the Dunkin’ Donuts on Southwood Park Drive around 3:30 p.m. after a reported assault and battery, according the release.

An employee told him she had been working at the restaurant for less than a week when another employee asked her to move so she could get something, the report said. The employee told the deputy that she did not move right away, so the other employee punched her on the left side of her face.

The deputy noted in the report that while the victim employee appeared “slightly shaken” from the incident, she did not have any marks or injuries. The employee who allegedly threw the punch had left the restaurant by the time the deputy arrived.

The manager told the deputy that while she was not in the area at the time of the incident, she did hear a verbal exchange between the two employees but could not make out what was said. She told the deputy that video footage of the restaurant was not immediately available because the video servers were in the process of being changed.

Another witness, the night shift leader for the restaurant, said the woman who was accused of throwing the punch was her mother. She told the deputy her mother was talking to the alleged victim about her “poor work habits” before the altercation began. The night shift leader joined the conversation and said the victim did not do anything during the night shift before she was told to “shut up” by the alleged victim, the report said.

The night shift leader said she did not see her mother punch the woman and provided the deputy with her mother’s phone number and address. The deputy went to the woman’s address and did not find her there.

No charges were filed in the report, though the victim said she wished to pursue charges.

This story was originally published September 27, 2017 at 3:13 PM with the headline "At Hilton Head Island Dunkin’ Donuts, discussion of work ethic leads to punch."