Tenn. man pleads out after threatening Little Caesars employees with AK-47 because he had to wait for pizza

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (TCD) -- A man entered a plea last month relating to an incident in which he threatened Little Caesars employees with an automatic rifle because his pizza order was taking too long.

WBIR-TV reports Charles Doty Jr. appeared in court Aug. 23 and entered a blind plea to four counts of aggravated assault, which means the judge will set the sentence rather than follow a recommendation from the Knox County District Attorney’s Office.

At approximately 9 p.m. on Nov. 5, 2021, Doty went to the Little Caesars on Cedar Bluff Road and ordered a pepperoni pizza, according to WATE-TV. Doty reportedly became upset when the fast-food restaurant’s employee informed him it would take about 10 minutes to prepare the pizza. He asked for free bread sticks, then went outside and retrieved an AK-47 from his vehicle.

When he reentered the eatery, he reportedly threatened the employees and asked for his pizza immediately. One of the employees told WATE that Doty demanded, "Where is my pizza? I want my pizza now."

Another employee who was there said, "It wasn’t even a 10-minute wait when he came in with the gun. If he would have not come in with the gun and waited another two, maybe three minutes, it would have already been boxed and in his hands."

Doty reportedly threatened one of the workers who tried to leave, so that person went into another room and called police.

Doty will be sentenced Sept. 29.

MORE:

• Man accused in November 2021 of pointing AK-47 at pizza store employees pleads guilty to aggravated assault - WBIR
• Police: Knoxville man demands pizza with AK-47, 11/23/2021 - WATE
• 'Where is my pizza? I want my pizza now,' pizza chain workers describe clash with armed customer, 11/23/2021 - WATE
• Tennessee man allegedly threatened pizza store employees with AK-47 over wait time, 11/24/2021 - TCD