Plant-based food maker Beyond Meat said on Tuesday it had suspended its chief operating officer after he was accused of a violent road rage clash at the University of Arkansas.
Chief Operating Officer Doug Ramsey, 53, was immediately suspended; a senior vice president will take on his duties on an interim basis, the California-based company said in a statement.
According to an initial police report obtained by Fayetteville-based NBC affiliate KNWA, Ramsay allegedly assaulted a motorist and bit him on the nose so hard that it tore his flesh. The report states that this claim is based on the observations and opinions of arresting officers, witnesses and victims.
Ramsay did not respond to a request for comment sent by a public relations representative for Beyond Meat.
A bond of nearly $12,000 was released Sunday to secure Ramsay’s release, according to inside information released by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Ramsay was booked Saturday night on suspicion of third-degree battery and making a terrorist threat, according to the sheriff’s office.
Ramsay accused the victim of causing his vehicle to come into contact with the front passenger side tire of Ramsay’s SUV as the victim’s vehicle drove out of a row in the parking lot of Razor Barker Stadium in Fayetteville, arresting officials said in the report. car.
The University of Arkansas football team just beat Missouri State 38-27.
Ramsay allegedly punched through the rear window of the victim’s vehicle, described as a Subaru, then pulled the man closer to him before punching, kicking and biting him, according to reports.
“Mr Ramsay also bit the owner’s nose and ripped the meat off the tip of his nose,” the officer wrote. “The owner and witnesses also heard Mr Ramsay threatening to kill the owner of the Subaru.”
Bystanders separated the men and Ramsay was arrested, the report said. It is unclear whether the victim required hospital treatment.
Ramsey was announced as Beyond Meat’s new chief operating officer in early December. He spent nearly 30 years at Tyson Foods, the country’s largest meat producer, in Springdale, near Fayetteville.
According to his Tyson resume, he spent most of his time at the company in the poultry business. He also briefly led Tyson’s business dealings with McDonald’s.
A December SEC filing on Aug. 8 announcing Ramsey’s hiring said he would have to repay a $450,000 “signing” bonus cash if he and the company parted ways before their one-year anniversary. It noted that he will receive an additional $275,000 signing bonus in his second year at Beyond Meat. His annual salary is $475,000, which can be doubled with performance-based bonuses, documents show.
Beyond Meat, based in El Segundo, near Los Angeles International Airport, says everyday but impactful “positive choices” are at the heart of its mission.
It’s unclear if Ramsay moved to Los Angeles or worked remotely in Arkansas. The police report said he was a resident of Fayetteville.
TJ Swigat and Gemma Di Casimiro contributed.