The viral video of a security guard at a Los Angeles Taco Bell Cantina slapping a woman has sparked widespread outrage and raised critical questions about the limits of authority, de-escalation tactics, and the treatment of vulnerable individuals. The incident, captured on video and circulated widely, shows a security guard striking a woman who was defiantly attempting to order food.
The Incident and Its Aftermath
The incident occurred at the Taco Bell Cantina located at 801 W 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles during the Super Bowl halftime show on February 9th. The freshly opened Taco Bell originally held the promise of broader horizons for a downtown Los Angeles location, an area known for being where the unhoused are prevalent and where security guard tempers can often run short.
New Taco Bell Cantina – photo courtesy DTLA Alliance
The question being highly debated across social media pages is, was the violence justified, with the majority of comments leaning towards no?
According to Alejandro Sanchez, who recorded the video, “The security guard was telling her to leave, and she didn’t want to because she was ordering food, and he just went off, and she started going crazy.”
Caught on Tape
Video footage shows the unidentified woman and the security guard engaged in a heated exchange shortly after the woman begins utilizing Taco Bell’s digital ordering screen. Pulling her away from the digital menu, the guard then turned and abruptly slapped her in the face. The video then shows the woman moving away while repeatedly telling the guard to “get away from me,” with the guard persistently telling her to leave. The confrontation continues until the woman exits the restaurant.
News outlets across the world, including Fox 11, Reddit, TMZ, Hindustan Times, News Australia, Times of India, Eur Web, Atlanta Black Star, Daily Mail, Black News, Black Facts, MSN, and Irish Star, along with multiple social media pages, have condemned the guard’s actions along with the heads of Taco Bell.
Taco Bell’s Response
“We do not condone the behavior in this video and take this matter very seriously,” the Taco Bell Corporation wrote in a statement to the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol. “We are informed that the guard in this video is no longer with the third-party security company, and the franchisee is conducting a full investigation.”
After assault: women flees to the back of the dining hall, commanded once again to leave by the security guard.
Taco Bell has stated that the security guard is no longer employed while the community awaits further action from the corporation in the form of compensation and training for employees and security to better handle mental illness and the neighborhood’s unhoused population.
The Psychology of Authority
This incident highlights a critical issue: the abuse of authority versus professionalism, patience and regard for human rights.
As John, a retired 20-year veteran of the Grand Rapids, Michigan, Police Department and founder of Gentle Response LLC Conflict Resolution, explains, “People in the position of authority are going to be more likely to feel offended, impatient, and frustrated when they think or feel or believe that their authority is being ignored or disregarded.”
This phenomenon is not limited to security personnel. “You know what I’m talking about because if you’re a parent, you ask your kids to have something done by the time you got home from work, it wasn’t done. You got upset. If you’re a supervisor at work and you told your people to have something done and it wasn’t done or wasn’t done properly, you got upset,” John notes.
The Importance of Proper Training and De-escalation
John emphasizes the need for proper training, particularly for those in security roles. “If you are in security, you absolutely positively have to know the limits of your authority and what the rules of engagement are,” he states. “I was a police officer for 20 years. I was never ever authorized to strike someone like that, with the exception of a very few exceptions. The rule of thumb is that you do not go around striking people like that.”
He stresses the importance of de-escalation: “If you ask someone to leave and they don’t, we now have a trespassing situation, which is potentially criminal. Call the Popo, call the police, get them coming. It’s better to have the police 30 seconds out than three minutes out.” He also advises, “Continue to work on trying to de-escalate the situation and get someone to become compliant to leave on their own.”
Community Response and Demands for Justice
The incident has deeply upset many who witnessed it and has traumatized some. “The slap was not a great image for DTLA,” one community member noted. “Disruptive incidents are not just an embarrassment for shop owners, but when they escalate to violence take just as heavy a toll on those who stand witness.”
Civil rights leaders and activists wasted no time calling for the guard’s arrest and prosecution.
Najee Ali, Director of Project Islamic Hope, has called for a meeting with Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant to discuss customer safety and enhanced security protocols. Ali also stated that his organization has volunteers searching for the victim, who may be experiencing homelessness, and the community has expressed commitment in helping her find legal representation.
Activist and political strategist Jasmyne Cannick has also joined the call for the guard’s arrest, emphasizing that “Losing a job doesn’t erase the fact that on the video he walked up behind a woman and punched her in the face like it was just another day at work. That’s not just excessive force—that’s assault. And last time I checked, assault is a crime.”
While the search for the African American homeless woman continues, accompanied by leagues of lawyers ready to represent, her identity still remains unknown.
Because of her ethnicity, the incident has gained further attention this being Black History Month, adding another layer of significance to the community’s demand for equal treatment and protection.
Online and peaceful protests persist, with the most recent seeing a gathering of South Los Angeles pastors from several churches, including Ryan David Sims of Revolution Church, who entered the Taco Bell as a group to make their presence known shortly after forming a prayer huddle just outside the doors.
