The family of a Wendy's employee in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is asking police to reopen an investigation after video showed the worker tied to kitchen equipment with trash bags during a shift. Co-worker Nicholus Murphy recorded the footage and a later internal meeting in which management called the act "unacceptable" and confirmed the manager involved was fired. The dismissed manager reportedly told police the incident was a TikTok trend intended as a joke, a claim Murphy and the family dispute. Police initially interviewed the employee, who reported no injury, and did not file charges as of Sept. 12.
Wendy's Employee Filmed Tied to Kitchen Equipment; Family Seeks Police Review After Manager Says It Was a 'TikTok' Trend
Image Credit: WSMV.
A Wendy's employee in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was filmed secured to kitchen equipment with trash bags during a shift, prompting an internal investigation, the manager's dismissal and a call from the employee's family for police to reopen the case.
The footage, recorded by co-worker Nicholus Murphy, shows the employee bound to kitchen equipment with trash bags while working at the Wendy's on South Church Street. The worker has not been publicly identified; his family says he is neurodivergent.
What Employees Say Happened
Murphy told WSMV4 Investigates he began recording after seeing trash bags used to secure his co-worker and said a manager, identified in reporting as Michiko Burton, told staff she needed the employee to "stay put" while she handled other tasks in the restaurant. Murphy later shared the video with supervisors.
Following the footage being shown to managers, an internal meeting was recorded in which an area manager called the conduct "unacceptable" and said Burton was no longer a manager at the restaurant. The restaurant's general manager separately confirmed that a manager had been fired, according to WSMV and Gray News reporting.
Police Inquiry and Reported Explanation
Murfeesboro police investigated the incident and interviewed the employee, who reportedly told officers he was not upset and had not been injured. According to WSMV4 Investigates' reporting of a Murfreesboro police report, Burton told officers the episode was part of a "TikTok trend" and intended as a joke. Murphy and the employee's family dispute that explanation; Murphy asked the station, "If there was a TikTok trend, then where's the TikTok?"
Police did not file charges after the initial inquiry. As of Sept. 12, the Murfreesboro Police Department had not posted a new public disposition on its website; the department directs requests for incident reports to its Records Section rather than providing a searchable online archive. GoodHousekeeping (GH) reported it was unable to independently obtain the underlying incident report online and therefore relied on WSMV's reporting of that report.
Franchisee Response and Family Request
Wendy's Of Bowling Green, the franchisee that operates the Murfreesboro location, issued a statement through Gray News saying employee safety and well-being are priorities and that the conduct was inconsistent with company standards. The franchisee said it investigated and that "appropriate action was taken."
Despite the manager's termination and the initial police review, the employee's family has asked law enforcement to reopen the investigation. The family's request follows the co-worker's video and the separately recorded internal meeting, which together provide multiple perspectives on how management handled the incident.
Attempts To Reach The Manager
WSMV4 Investigates said it tried to contact Burton by phone and through social media for comment but received no response.
Note: Reporting on what Burton allegedly told police is based on WSMV's coverage of the Murfreesboro police report; GoodHousekeeping did not independently obtain the police report through the department's records portal.
Current status: The most directly supported facts are that video shows the employee tied to equipment, a manager was fired, police initially investigated and did not file charges, and the employee's family is seeking a new review.
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