A purple-haired Instacart driver allegedly ran over an elderly Minnesota couple’s groceries and scribbled “f— the police” on their receipt after police say she observed a sign in the front yard supporting local law enforcement.
The couple said they had placed an order for delivery from a local Cub Foods in Coon Rapids, a suburb north of Minneapolis, to be delivered on Monday, the Blaine Police Department said.
Police said the residents came outside because they were concerned the Instacart driver would get stuck in their snowy driveway, but when they came out, she yelled at them.
The suspect, Tara Olivia Plum, 36, allegedly yelled at the couple to check inside of the Christmas wreath on their front door. There they found a vulgar note scrawled on a receipt.
“Instacart doesn’t pay employees. Sry [sorry] find another slave,” the purple-haired suspect allegedly wrote on the receipt, according to a photo of the message, which also featured the phrases “f*** the police” and “racist pigs.”
Since the incident, Plum has been cited for criminal damage to the property. She could face as much as ninety days behind bars for what she did to the pro-police people in her community. Although a court date has not yet been set for Plum, she will need to appear before a judge and plead her case.
An Instacart company spokesperson told NBC News in a statement Wednesday that they are “appalled” by what happened and Plum has been removed as a driver.
“We’ve been in direct contact with the customers to refund their order and provide additional resources. We’ll continue to provide support to the impacted customers and will also work directly with local law enforcement on any investigations into this matter,” the spokesperson said.
Police said Plum was reacting to a sign the couple has in their yard that reads: “Thank you Blaine P.D.” with the letter O replaced with a heart filled with the “Thin Blue Line” flag.
The “Thin Blue Line” flag is viewed by some as a sign of support for law enforcement while others see it as a symbol of white supremacy or a rebuke of the racial justice movement.
Amber Gray, who said she is a relative of the couple, said in a GoFundMe post that the couple put up the sign to show support for Bl.
“Supporting law enforcement doesn’t make you racist. And it absolutely doesn’t give anyone the right to destroy your things or shatter your sense of safety,” Gray wrote.
Plum, 36, was cited for criminal damage to property. Police said the incident did not classify as a hate crime because the “facts of this case do not meet the elements required for an enhancement to a hate crime.”
The couple has been reimbursed for their destroyed grocery items.
Source: AWM