The internet has come out in support of a deliveryman who claims he was suspended from his job after posting a video that showed numerous rats inside of a Popeyes restaurant in Washington, D.C.
Last month, TikTok user blaqazzrick01 shared a video of a Popeyes location in D.C. with numerous rats seen throughout the restaurant. In the video, blaqazzrick01, whose real name is Ricardo Land, shows himself walking into the kitchen of the Popeyes location, which has rats scurrying across the floor while several others can be seen scaling a wall inside the kitchen and going into a hole in the ceiling.
In the video, Land says that he does not work for Popeyes but instead delivers raw chicken to several of the chain's locations across Washington, D.C. It is unclear who employs Land.
While the video has received over 2 million views on TikTok, Land recently launched a GoFundMe page after claiming that he was suspended from his job "due to exposure of the Popeyes franchise due to a swarm of rats in the place."
"I have a family of 5 and due to this incident my family will be hurt by my employer. I will not be able to afford rent food or any other necessities to keep my home. I ask that you beautiful people to please donate what you can and it will be ever so grateful from my family to yours," Land claimed in the description of the GoFundMe page, which has received over $27,000 in donations, surpassing the goal of $10,000.
In response to the video and the GoFundMe page, many people who donated expressed support for Land.
"You did nothing wrong! God bless," GoFundMe user Katherine Gary-Foley wrote with her donation.
GoFundMe user Valerie DeMarco wrote, "You did the right thing! Thanks for watching out:)"
Similarly, GoFundMe user Jessica Ruscheinsky wrote, "Thank you for exposing them, even with the risk of getting fired. You did what many could never!!"
Dozens of other users who donated to the GoFundMe page thanked Land for the video said that he should not be penalized for posting the video.
In a statement sent to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Popeyes said, "We have taken action to terminate the franchise agreement with this restaurant operator. This Franchisee only operates this one location, and it is being closed indefinitely. This single restaurant does not reflect our strong food safety and cleanliness standards across Popeyes."
An additional statement from Popeyes, which was sent to Newsweek, confirmed that Land is not employed by Popeyes or the specific location seen in the video.
"We're cooperating in the distributor's investigation of the matter, and have been ensured by the vendor that their employee who posted the fundraising page is currently receiving his full pay," the statement said. "He is not a Popeyes employee, nor that of the Franchisee, and decisions regarding his suspension are handled by his employer."
According to WTOP News in Washington, D.C., the Popeyes location in question was recently shut down by the D.C. Health Department.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
