Beyond Meat COO suspended after altercation

Beyond Meat said Tuesday it has suspended Chief Operating Officer Doug Ramsey following his arrest for allegedly biting a man's nose during an altercation over the weekend.

Ramsey's suspension went into effect immediately, the plant-based food company said in a press release. Jonathan Nelson, the senior vice president of manufacturing operations at Beyond Meat, will now assume oversight of operations "on an interim basis," according to the release.

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The now-suspended COO, who joined Beyond Meat in December 2021, faces charges of third-degree battery and terroristic threatening in connection to a Saturday altercation at a parking garage near Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fox 24 reported. The fight reportedly took place after a game between the University of Arkansas Razorbacks and the Missouri State Bears.

According to a police report, Ramsey was angered when another driver inched in front of him in a traffic lane and made contact with the front passenger wheel on Ramsey’s Ford Bronco SUV.

The police report alleges Ramsey got out of his vehicle and punched through the back windshield of the other driver’s car. The driver told police that he got out of his car and Ramsey pulled him close and began punching him. Ramsey also bit the tip of the other driver’s nose, ripping the flesh, according to the police report.

The driver and witnesses told police that Ramsey threatened to kill the other man. Occupants of both vehicles got out and separated the two men.

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Ramsey is set to appear in court Oct. 19 in connection to the incident.

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Prior to joining Beyond Meat, he held various positions at Tyson Foods, including heading its retail poultry operations and serving as president of its global McDonald's business, according to his biography on the Beyond Meat investors website. He started at Tyson Foods in 1992.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
BYND	BEYOND MEAT INC.	5.14	-0.16	-3.02%

In early August, Beyond Meat reported net revenues of $147 million for the second quarter of 2022, down 1.6% compared to the $149.4 million in net revenues reported for the same period last year. Its net loss widened to $97.1 million for the second quarter of 2022 from $19.7 million for the same quarter in 2021, the company reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report