The chief operating officer of a vegan meat substitute brand was arrested over the weekend for taking a bite out of another human after a college football game.
Beyond Meat executive Douglas Ramsey, 53, went on a rampage in a parking garage at Razorback Stadium after the University of Arkansas beat Missouri State 34-17 on Saturday night. According to KNWA, the altercation began with a road rage incident that culminated in a cannibalistic attack on the other driver.
Ramsey was reportedly exiting the parking structure in his Ford Bronco around 10 p.m., when a Subaru “inched his way” in front of the vehicle and hit the Bronco’s front passenger tire. The Beyond Meat COO’s insane response to the accident was to exit his SUV and punch “through the back windshield” of the Subaru.
When the other driver got out of his car, Ramsey “pulled him in close and started punching his body,” then “bit the owner’s nose, ripping the flesh on the tip of the nose.” The victim accused Ramsey of threatening “to kill” him, which was corroborated by witnesses from both SUV’s who managed to break up the one-sided fight.
University of Arkansas police officers arrived to find “two males with bloody faces,” and arrested Ramsey on charges of terroristic threatening and third-degree battery at 10:27 p.m., according to a police report.
He was held on a $11,085 bond at Washington County Jail before his release on Sunday morning, and will appear in Fayetteville District Court on October 19 to face his charges.
Ramsey was a former executive at Tyson Foods and McDonald’s before taking over as Beyond Meat’s COO in December 2021. The company hasn’t commented on the executive’s arrest, but it has been speculated that the meat alternative’s poor performance could have contributed to the savage attack.
According to their website, Beyond Meat believes “there’s a better way to feed our future” by choosing plant based over USDA certified beef, but consumers haven’t gotten on board, as stock shares have steadily fallen by 92% since 2019.
The company’s arch-rival, Impossible Foods, has eaten up shares of the meat alternative market with partnerships at Kroger, Burger King, Little Caesars, and Starbucks featuring their Impossible burger and sausage. While the cost of producing Beyond Meat has soared during inflation, costing nearly double the average price of actual ground beef.