Two black FedEx drivers claim they were fired Wednesday after one of them posted a video showing a heated confrontation with a white cust...
Two black FedEx drivers claim they were fired Wednesday after one of them posted a video showing a heated confrontation with a white customer in Leesburg, Georgia.
A video of the encounter went viral on Tuesday after the driver claimed the unidentified customer began the argument after they dropped a package at his house.
He alleged the man told police that the delivery men looked like they would break into his house.
The video, posted by Antonio Braswell, shows one of the drivers in the middle of an argument with the homeowner, who is also recording the incident on his phone.
Braswell reposted the video to Twitter on Wednesday to say he had received a call from FedEx who told him to remove the video and that he had been fired as a result.
The video, posted by Antonio Braswell, shows one of the drivers, identified as Felinzay Darnell Lundy, in the middle of an argument with the homeowner, who is also recording the incident on his phone. Braswell claims that he was fired by FedEx after posting this video online
Antonio Braswell posted to Twitter to claim FedEx asked him to remove the video. The company has confirmed Wednesday that the incident in Georgia is under investigation
'I'm reposting this video because people like him doesn't matter white or any race should never disrespect essential workers putting their lives in jeopardy especially with this COVID-19,' he wrote.
FedEx said the men worked for an independent service provider but would be employed by FedEx while the incident was being investigated.
'We are aware of the incident in GA that led to the release of two drivers employed by a service provider,' FedEx said in a statement posted to Twitter.
'We're offering employment while investigating to ensure an appropriate outcome. We take seriously allegations of discrimination, retaliation, or improper employment actions.
'FedEx Ground expects the highest level of conduct from service providers and their employees,' a spokesperson added to Business Insider.
'FedEx will be conducting a thorough investigation into these claims.'
The details of the incident leading up to the start of the video are not clear.
The video posted by Braswell shows the second driver, identified by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as Felinzay Darnell Lundy, already arguing with the homeowner who is heard shouting to his wife to call 911.
The video begins with the heated argument already underway. The driver is shown speaking with the unidentified homeowner who was also recording the incident. The driver, named as Felinzay Darnell Lundy, is heard in the video asking the homeowner to repeat his threat
The driver initially said he would wait for the cops but then begin to pull away. Braswell said on social media that when the police did arrive, the homeowner told them that it looked like the delivery men would break into his house with his wife inside. Braswell accused him of lying
'You didn't have to come out here cussing me like that. I ain't no little boy. I'll wait to the police come,' Lundy said in the video, adding that he would have gotten off the customer's grass.
The pair continue to argue as Lundy calls on the man to step forward and repeat that he said he would 'whoop our black a***s'.
The customer calls back to his wife to call 911 again and the drivers initially say they will wait for police before deciding to leave.
'Man, I'm not gonna waste my time with you. You got my information, they'll find me, you need to get your glasses back on.'
'All we did was deliver his package, he was in the house at the time,' Braswell wrote when he posted the video.
'It was a quick stop and as soon as we were leaving, he ran out his house cursing and threatening us. While we were looking confused, we just apologized for being on his yard, but he keeps going on, then kept saying he would whoop our black a***s and then he told his wife to call the cops.
One of the driver's, Antonio Braswell, claims that the men started shouting at them about being in his yard after they dropped off a package. He said the man's wife called 911
'That's when he kept following us. Then he pulled out his phone to record us and start playing the victim role. We drove off at first, but they yelled "f**k y'all",' he continued.
According to Braswell, the man told police upon their arrival that the drivers looked 'like they would've broken into my house while my wife is there'.
'The white dude was lying the whole time,' Braswell added.
'Mind y'all we go through this all the time he was the first to actually come at us crazy and all we are doing is our job. We work 6 days out the week to deliver these packages during this coronavirus going on.
'I really appreciate the job opportunity I had with FedEx ... no hard feelings but I pray I can get back on my feet because i have a daughter now.'
A GoFundMe established for the two drivers has raised closed to $64,000 as of Thursday
The local sheriff's office said the Leesburg Police Department responded to the incident.
Leesburg Police Department has not yet returned a request for comment.
'Idk what the police did but I posted this video because we go through racism every day on that route in Leesburg, but he was the first one to actually come up and actually threaten us,' Braswell said.
A GoFundMe page has now been established for the drivers and had raised close to $64,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
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