Former Tyson executive, currently employed by Beyond Meat, charged after man bitten in Fayetteville

Ramsey
Ramsey

FAYETTEVILLE -- A former Tyson Foods Inc. executive has been charged with felony battery after a fight in which police say he bit a man's nose.

Police also charged Doug Ramsey, 53, with making a terroristic threat after the attack in a parking garage Saturday at Fayetteville during a University of Arkansas football game.

Ramsey had spent more than 30 years at Springdale-based Tyson Foods before joining Beyond Meat Inc. as its chief operating officer late last year. He held top leadership positions at Tyson, including work as president of its poultry division and president of its global McDonald's business.

According to a police report, Ramsey was angered Saturday when another driver inched in front of him in a traffic lane and made contact with the front passenger wheel on Ramsey's Ford Bronco.

Ramsey got out of his SUV and punched through the back windshield of the other driver's car, according to the police report. The driver told police that he got out of the car and Ramsey pulled him close and began punching him, according to the report.

Ramsey also bit the tip of the other driver's nose, ripping the flesh, police said.

The driver and witnesses told police that Ramsey threatened to kill the other man before occupants of both vehicles got out and separated the two men, according to the report.

Washington County court records show that Ramsey was released Sunday on $11,085 bond. A court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 19. Beyond Meat didn't respond to email and telephone messages left by The Associated Press.

Beyond Meat, based in El Segundo, Calif., has been struggling this year as customers dealing with soaring grocery bills have bypassed its higher-priced products.

McDonald's also recently ended a U.S. trial of its McPlant meatless burger -- developed with Beyond Meat -- without confirming any plans for the product. Beyond Meat laid off 4% of its workforce in August.

Information for this article was contributed by Andrew DeMillo of The Associated Press.

  photo  This photo provided by Washington County, Arkansas shows Douglas Ramsey. Officials say Ramsey, a vegan food products company executive, has been charged with felony battery and making a terroristic threat after a fracas outside a football game in which he's accused of biting a man's nose. Ramsey, Beyond Meat Chief Operations Officer, is accused in the road rage attack outside the football game in Fayetteville between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Missouri State Bears. (AP/Washington County Sheriff's Office)
 
 


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