Riviera police: Threat of bad food-delivery review led to car chase, assault charge

RIVIERA BEACH - A 24-year-old food delivery driver is facing criminal charges after police say he attacked and chased a man who he claimed was going to give him a bad review.

Authorities arrested Harrison Zanette Brady of West Palm Beach early Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery. He was released that day under court-ordered supervision. He declined comment to The Palm Beach Post on Thursday.

Riviera Beach police say Brady was making a delivery for Postmates, a food delivery service, Tuesday night when he got into an altercation with a customer who complained that items were missing from an order.

According to the arrest report, Brady brandished a knife and pursued the customer’s vehicle, deliberately striking it with his own.

A statement released by Postmates on Thursday said Brady was removed immediately from the company’s app platform when it learned of the incident.

“We are working to connect with the detective assigned to the case to collaborate with the ongoing investigation,” the statement said.

Brady was an independent contractor, a Postmates spokeswoman said.

Police say the situation began at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 2600 block of Avenue S. A 20-year-old man told officers he received a text saying his food order was nearby and he walked out of his apartment to meet the delivery driver.

The man said Brady told him the food had been delivered to the wrong apartment. The two walked to a neighboring apartment to retrieve it.

The customer noticed items were missing from the order and told Brady as they went to their cars that he would be receiving a bad review.

According to the arrest report, Brady responded angrily, kicking the man’s car door. The customer closed his door and attempted to put his car in gear when Brady threw a punch into the open window, the report said.

The customer drove away, but Brady followed him in his own car. A pursuit began northbound on Avenue S toward Silver Beach Road, police said. The chase reached President Barack Obama Highway, with Brady at one point cutting off the other vehicle and striking it on the front driver’s side. Police say he then intentionally swerved his car and struck the rear driver’s side of the other vehicle.

An officer who witnessed the incident activated lights and sirens and directed both vehicles to pull over into a parking lot on West Blue Heron Boulevard.

Brady told investigators the customer had chased him. The accuser told police Brady had pulled a knife at one point prior to the altercation, but Brady denied that allegation, the report said.

jwhigham@pbpost.com

@JuliusWhigham