She tried to buy a homeless man dinner at Popeyes. Then cops were called, TikTok shows

A woman’s efforts to feed a hungry man at an Atlanta Popeyes ended with the police being called, according to videos posted online. Now, she’s speaking out.

A pair of TikTok videos showed Popeyes employees turn Jo Ortega away when she tried to buy a two-piece dinner at the restaurant near Ponce de Leon Avenue in August.

Ortega, a 24-year-old Georgia State University student, said she had been picking up a DoorDash order when she saw a man experiencing homelessness, local outlets reported. When she tried to order him a meal, the employees refused.

“So I don’t know when Popeyes don’t let you order for him — he’s asking for food,” she says in the video, which has been viewed more than 5 million times as of Thursday, Sept. 8.

“Ma’am, you can’t do it,” one of the workers replied. “I don’t care nothing about you recording me, baby,” they add before slamming the drive-thru window shut.

Ortega said the employees refused to take her order and proceeded to call the cops because she was trying to help the man, who identified himself as “Jazz.”

In a second video, flashing blue lights are seen in the parking lot.

“I can’t order for this homeless man right here who asked for food,” Ortega continues. “He didn’t ask for nothing. He didn’t even ask for money and they’ve been so rude. This is crazy.”

Police confirmed they responded to a report about someone refusing to leave the drive-thru, but determined Ortega had not violated any law, WAGA reported. Ortega told the station that officers actually thanked her for buying the man a hot meal.

“Oftentimes homeless (people) are treated like stray animals, stray cats. If you feed them they’re going to keep coming back,” she told the news station. “In all of this, I believe that people deserve to be treated like people.”

Ortega eventually got in contact with another manager at the store who decried the incident and allowed her and Jazz to order what they wanted — for free, according to WSB-TV. Jazz got 12 pieces of chicken and chose to share with someone who was also experiencing homelessness, the station reported.

Popeyes’ corporate office said it is aware of the incident.

“At Popeyes®, we are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect,” a company spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement. “We have ensured all employees at this restaurant have been provided with retraining to help navigate a range of guest interactions, such as the situation highlighted in the video.”

Now, Ortega said she’s working to help Jazz and others who are at risk of homelessness in Atlanta.

“He began to tell me how he sells drawings for a living and how he just wanted a meal,” she wrote on GoFundMe launched on the man’s behalf. “I want to help get him off the streets and buy him a new tent and socks etc.”

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