do you want fries with that

Do You Want Fries With That?
Do You Want Fries With That?
By Jennifer Kramer

WILMINGTON, DE- Twenty-three-year old, defendant David Fowler, of Lancaster, PA was charged Friday evening for assaulting four employees at local fast food chain restaurant, malicious destruction of property and disorderly conduct.

Fower is currently being held at the New Castle Detention Center in Delaware after failure to post his $10,000 bail following his June 30, 2008 arraignment.

According to police, at 6:15 p.m., Friday evening at a Burger King in the 3100 block of Kirkwood Highway near Route 7 in Wilmington, Fowler argued with a cashier at the drive through window about how much he was charged for his meal and for the cashier’s failure to give him a toy.

The cashier told Fowler he could not give Fowler the toy, since the fast food chain’s policy states that toys were only for children.

The toy, from the movie, “Chicken Run” was not made clear to be only for meals with children present at the time of ordering the food. It was simply advertised as coming included with the happy meal offered at Burger King.

Fowler, father of two, did not bring his children along with him as they were home sick awaiting their dinner and toys.

Fowler became enraged, parked his car and went into the restaurant shouting. Police reports indicate he was screaming how he wanted his toy and punched two male employees and threw a third employee over the counter.

Fowler was also said by police to have broken a store shelf which then collapsed and nearly struck a small child eating at Burger King during Fowler’s rampage.

Fowler’s attorney, Brian Bauer, public defender assigned by the county, said, “He wanted the toy for his young daughter. He became enraged when he realized he wouldn’t be able to get it for her. I’m not excusing what he did, but how would you feel if you were in his position?”

The restaurant was swamped with people, kids and their parents, as it was Friday evening, during the scene Fowler made.

Many ran during the scuffle out into the parking lot, leaving behind their meals and belongings.

“All this for a toy? Have we become so obsessed with collecting things that we’ve forgotten how to act? Society shouldn’t tolerate this kind of behavior,” said Assistant DA, Colleen McGinnis, from the prosecution.


According to Bauer, he is working on a plea bargain with McGinnis where Fowler would plead guilty to two of the assaults he was charged with. It is not clear if one of the employees was punched or simply pushed. Fowler would agree to pay for the damage done to the restaurant and perform community service for the disorderly conduct charge.

McGinnis has confirmed that negotiations are onway.


Fowler has no previous criminal record.


This Burger King establishment has been in operation since 1973 and has no prior complaints of its employees.


A preliminary hearing is scheduled before Judge Jane Dorton on July 18 at 10 a.m.