Blaine police investigating after Instacart shopper allegedly drives over elderly couple's groceries
Kyle Brown
Updated: December 13, 2021 09:45 PM
Created: December 13, 2021 12:03 PM
Blaine police are investigating an elderly couple's claim that an Instacart shopper drove over their groceries last week, possibly in response to a pro-law enforcement sign in their front yard.
According to a news release, the couple had placed an order for delivery from Cub Foods the morning of Dec. 6, and once the driver arrived at their home, the couple went outside to meet the driver.
The driver yelled for them to check inside their Christmas wreath, where they found a receipt with a "derogatory message" written on it.
"It says Instacart doesn't pay employees, find another slave, f*** the police, racist, pigs," shared Brian Podany, Chief of Police for the Blaine Police Department.
A Facebook post shows bags of groceries ripped open and strewn across a snowy driveway. Police say they received a report that an Instacart driver ran over an elderly couple's groceries on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021.
Amber Gray/Facebook
The couple told police that they didn't find any groceries on the front porch; instead, they said the groceries had been run over in the driveway.
A Facebook post detailing the alleged incident shows a receipt with the message "Instacart doesn't pay employees sry find another slave f--- the police racist pigs."
The woman who shared the story claimed to be a relative of the couple and said the note was likely a response to a sign in their front yard that says, "Thank you Blaine P.D."
The Blaine Police Department said it has identified the shopper, a 36-year-old from Coon Rapids, and that charges are "likely in the near future."
"She is not cooperating with us, if you can believe that," Chief Podany said.
Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany said possible charges include disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property.
A GoFundMe account has donations pouring in and has now raised more than $7,000.
Podany said incidents like these are disheartening.
"It's unfortunate something like this would happen, particularly at this time of year," he said. "This is the holiday season, and we should be taking care of each other. We are in law enforcement, we get that not everyone likes us, but don't take that out on innocent people out there."
The couple has reportedly received a full refund from Instacart. In a statement, the company said it is "appalled by the unacceptable actions of this shopper, who has been removed from the Instacart platform as a result."
"We've been in direct contact with the customers to refund their order and provide additional resources," the statement continued. "We'll continue to provide support to the impacted customers and will also work directly with local law enforcement on any investigations into this matter."