An armed and drunk DoorDash driver confirmed up at a Vancouver, Washington, dwelling demanding a tip for a grocery supply — resulting in a life-or-death wrestle with a grandfather who wrestled the gun away as his terrified household appeared on.
The harrowing incident happened the morning of Might 28 as home-owner Anthony Volino was sitting right down to eat breakfast together with his daughter and grandchildren. That’s when 59-year-old Robert Delehant banged on their entrance door, claiming he was the supply driver from the earlier evening, again to gather a money tip.
Volino stated his daughter had ordered about $100 in groceries utilizing a SNAP card by way of the DoorDash app. She advised Delehant she had already tipped him digitally — and reminded him that ideas can’t be utilized with SNAP. However the supply synthetic it clear he wasn’t going wherever till he was paid in money.
“He can’t make that call that I’m going someone’s home to get a money tip,” Volino advised reporters afterward.
Volino stated he was fed up and commenced approaching to dismiss the person, however that’s when he smelled the sturdy scent of alcohol on his breath. “For a cut up second, I considered giving the man a few {dollars}, however when he once more stated, ‘I would like my tip,’ that’s once I stated, ‘Whoa, whoa.’ I stated, ‘You could depart,’” Volino advised KGW.
As an alternative of backing down, Delehant allegedly got here additional into the doorway. Volino needed to rapidly man as much as maintain the intruder at bay. “As we tussled, , at that time he stated, ‘Oh, it’s going to be like that,’ and he reached behind him. Once I noticed him attain behind him, I knew he was going for some type of weapon. I wasn’t going to attend to seek out out what that weapon was,” Volino stated.
“I reached behind him, and I felt the metal in his waistband, and as quickly as I felt the gun in his waistband, my coronary heart simply sank,” he advised KPTV. “The one factor on my thoughts was I’ve to get this gun away from him. I’m in a wrestle for my life at this level. That’s what I’m considering. It’s me or him.”
The doorbell digicam captured the chaotic scene because the wrestle spilled into the entrance yard. Volino is seen pushing Delehant to the bottom and disarming him earlier than dumping out the bullets. He then ordered the person to depart and advised his daughter to name 911.
Each males known as the police, and officers arrested Delehant quickly after. He’s now going through fees of felony harassment, assault, and driving beneath the affect.
Throughout the commotion, the gun by no means fired — however Volino stated the incident may have simply gone one other manner. “I may have been shot, my children may have been shot. If he would have gotten his fingers on that gun, someone may have gotten damage. I nonetheless can’t consider it occurred.”
Volino stated he has since found comparable incidents involving supply drivers and is worried about rising dangers for households. “Since this incident occurred, I’ve discovered a number of incidents on-line — DoorDash supply drivers assaulting individuals – Detroit. Final 12 months in Houston. I hold discovering these tales on-line, and I haven’t seen something executed about it because it continues to occur.”
DoorDash confirmed Delehant was considered one of its drivers and stated he was instantly fired.
“What occurred was unacceptable and the sprint concerned was instantly deactivated,” the corporate stated in a press release to native retailers. Whereas DoorDash famous drivers are allowed to respectfully remind prospects about ideas, it harassed it has a strict zero-tolerance coverage for harassment.
Volino stated the corporate nonetheless hasn’t contacted him — and he’s now taking steps to tighten safety round his dwelling. He additionally urged different households who use supply providers to be vigilant.
