A Maryland woman is set to face trial following accusations of brandishing a firearm during a heated confrontation with employees at a Taco Bell.
Ashley Andrews, a 30-year-old resident of Chester, Maryland, stands charged with several offenses including second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, possession of a handgun, and disorderly conduct. These charges were detailed in online court records accessed by Oxygen.
According to the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff, deputies were dispatched to the fast-food location on June 18 after receiving a report of a woman allegedly displaying a firearm amid a dispute. Upon arrival, law enforcement confiscated a loaded handgun from Andrews, who was identified by the staff as the individual involved.
The sheriff’s office release noted that Andrews, unhappy with the delay in receiving her meal, engaged in a verbal clash with the staff, instructing them to meet her outside in the parking lot. During the altercation, she purportedly lifted her shirt to reveal the gun, using threatening words directed at the employees.
Authorities reviewed surveillance videos and cell phone recordings of the incident, which reportedly depicted Andrews raising her shirt to expose a handgun and placing her hand on the weapon’s grip while engaging in a dispute with the Taco Bell staff, as per the official statement.
Andrews was placed under arrest and posted $5,000 bail the following day, court records show.
According to the case docket, Andrews is being represented by a public defender, who filed a motion for a speedy trial. Her trial date is set for July 23.
Oxygen reached out to the Queen Anne’s County Public Defender’s Office for comment but did not receive an immediate reply.