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Police: Man threatened staff

Kirkland allegedly told employees he would kill them

Kirkland

An Alabama man is behind bars for allegedly threatening to kill numerous staff members at a Pizza Hut restaurant in East Providence Township after getting food that he said tasted strange.

Larry Scott Kirkland, 37, of 634 Lee Road 490, Smiths Station, faces four counts of terroristic threats, a count of disorderly conduct and a count of retail theft.

State police said they received a report about Kirkland confronting and threatening employees after claiming his food had similar tastes to a cleaning solution.

He allegedly walked into the kitchen to speak with staff, who denied tampering with his food, before fleeing the restaurant. Kirkland returned to the restaurant a second time to retrieve his phone he left there, cursing at staff and threatening to kill them, before fleeing again, according to a police criminal complaint.

Multiple Pizza Hut employees police spoke with had similar stories about their interactions with Kirkland.

A manager reportedly told police she had been sitting in the dining room of Pizza Hut when she heard Kirkland yell and saw him walk into the kitchen. She said she heard Kirkland accuse a cook of putting something in his food. Police said the manager admitted to making his food and assured Kirkland it had not been tampered with.

She said he fled the restaurant but returned shortly afterward to retrieve his phone. On this second visit, she told police Kirkland told them to go ahead and call police and that he would be back to kill all of them before slamming the door and leaving.

Two waitresses and a cook also corroborated the manager’s claims of Kirkland’s threats. A waitress reported to police that she tried to replace Kirkland’s food order after his complaints, but that he denied her request.

She told police Kirkland refused to pay for his food and wanted to know who had prepared his food.

Kirkland’s preliminary hearing was delayed Wednesday. It is now scheduled for 9 a.m. April 17 at the Bedford County Central Court.

Kirkland is housed at the Bedford County Jail on a cash bail of $75,000.

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