Burger King's onion rings lead to lawsuit

BLOOMFIELD, N.M. - A New Mexico man is suing Burger King after he says an order of cold onion rings ended with a manager trying to take him down with a taser and switchblade, according to CBS affiliate CBS affiliate KRQE.

The lawsuit claims that in June 2013, the customer in Bloomfield, N.M., said he asked for warmer food after being served cold onion rings, and that the manager, Francisco Berrera, wasn't pleased.

He claims Berrera then told another employee, in Spanish, "...he doesn't even know...I'm going to return it and do whatever I want to it and he'll still eat it..." However, the customer says he understood every word, refused the food and asked for a refund.

That's when, according to the plaintiff, Berrera said no and things got violent. The customer said the manager attacked him, lunging at him with a taser in one hand and a switchblade in the other. Berrera was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with deadly weapon, KRQE reports.

Based on the incident, the suit alleges Burger King is negligent in its hiring. The plaintiff claims there've been problems at other New Mexico Burger Kings, citing such things as "pot burgers" sold to cops in Los Lunas and workers putting dish sanitizer on fries at the Bloomfield location.

According the lawsuit, Berrera had been violent with customers and co-workers before the onion ring incident; he did plead guilty to aggravated assault in this case.

A spokesman for Burger King said the company doesn't comment on pending litigation.