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Taco Bell Exec Canned After Drunken Uber Attack Caught On Video
A Taco Bell executive who was recently arrested in connection to the beating an Uber driver—an incident that was all caught on dashcam video—has been fired by the "Fourth Meal" company."Given the behavior of the individual, it is clear he can no longer work for us," a Taco Bell corporate spokesperson said, according to NBC Los Angeles. "We have also offered and encouraged him to seek professional help."
Taco Bell canned 32-year-old Benjamin Golden, who was the company's Mobile Experience & Innovation Lead. Golden had worked for the fast-food corporation's parent company, Yum! Brands, for seven years, according to a bio listed on an event page.
Uber driver Edward Caban said he picked up a very drunk Golden on Friday night near Baja Sharkeez on Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach. Caban, who recorded the incident on his dashcam, told NBC Los Angeles that Golden wouldn't put his destination address in the Uber phone app, nor would he give him directions. He also said Golden wouldn't put on his seat belt. In the video, the passenger can be seen toppling over in the backseat when Caban makes a turn on the road.
When Caban gets fed up with his passenger and tells him to get out of his car because he's too drunk to provide directions, he refuses to get out, telling him to go to "Park Newport," which is apparently the name of an apartment complex. However, Caban tells his passenger the ride is over and that he'll call the police if he stays in his car.
That's when things escalate. The passenger violently smacks and punches Caban's head several times, grabbing his hair, and cursing at him. Caban then maces him in the face, and the passenger gets out. "The only way that I felt I was going to get him to stop beating me was to incapacitate him, was to use some kind of self-defense," Caban told CBS News.
Costa Mesa police arrived at the scene and arrested Golden on Friday night, and booked him on charges of assault and public intoxication.
Update: The original video was taken down from YouTube and we have since replaced it with this longer video.
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Here is the video of the assault:
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