Man who pulled rifle on Little Caesars workers pleads guilty, awaits sentencing, officials say

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Knoxville man who threatened the workers of the Cedar Bluff Little Caesars with an AK-47 awaits sentencing at the end of September, according to a report.

The report says the man identified as Charles Douglas Doty Jr., 64, pled guilty on Tuesday, Sept. 12 and is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 29.

Doty threatened workers at the Little Caesars after he was told it would take ten minutes to make his pepperoni pizza, a report from the Knoxville Police Department states.

Officers responded to the restaurant just after 9 p.m. Friday where they were told that the suspect, identified as Charles Doty Jr., 53, became upset when he was told that his pepperoni pizza would take ten minutes to make. According to the report, “he got upset and demanded a free breadstick order and went outside the business to wait for the pizza.”

When Doty Jr. returned, he had the rifle in hand and was pointing it at employees, demanding his pizza immediately, the report reads. Doty Jr. reportedly stopped an employee who was trying to leave the Little Caesars, asking “where in the hell he thought he was going,” and a woman waiting in line ended up giving him her pizza in an attempt to get him to leave.

WVLT spoke to former employee Kimberleigh Murrell who was working during the incident.

“He comes walking back in and hasn’t pointed at anybody yet. I was taking care of a female customer and she was just getting ready to leave, then he gets the gun. He pointed at me saying where is my d--- pizza I want my pizza,” said Murrell, “Honestly fear and utter disbelief like I was shocked it was over a six-dollar pizza.”

Noah Beeler is a current employee of Little Caesar’s and was also there when this incident occurred.

”Calm down. No need to be hostile. And right when I walk up there, I say what in god’s green earth is going through your head, he moves his hand off the trigger and onto the barrel to put it on safety and says don’t get aggravated. I was like man... leave,” Beeler said when he approached Doty Jr.

In a situation that all began over a wait for pizza Murrell said, “We are not always hot and ready! Never listen to that we are not always hot and ready.”

Doty Jr. was charged with aggravated assault and especially aggravated kidnapping, the report said. Doty Jr. was taken into custody and but was released on bond Tuesday. His court date is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2022.