An Instacart driver allegedly ran over an elderly couple's groceries with her car and left a derogatory note because of a pro-police sign on the front lawn, the couple said. Blaine Police said the driver has been cited for Criminal Damage to Property and they could not classify the incident as a hate crime.
The couple from Blaine, Minnesota ordered food from their local supermarket on the delivery service on Dec. 6. The couple went outside to help when the driver, Tara Olivia Plum, arrived at the house, the Blaine Police Department said in a press release and Facebook statement.
“The driver yelled back at them to check inside of their Christmas wreath,” police wrote. “They also reported that the driver was driving back and forth in the driveway. Upon checking inside of the wreath, they located the receipt from the grocery order with a derogatory message. After the delivery driver left they found that their groceries had been run over in their driveway.”
Police say Plum reacted to the front yard sign that reads: “Thank you Blaine P.D.” with the letter O replaced with a heart filled with the “Thin Blue Line” flag.
The note allegedly stated: “Instacart doesn’t pay employees. Sry [sorry] find another slave racist,” according to NBC affiliate KARE of Minneapolis. It also contained the words “police pigs,” the news station reported.
Some view the "Thin Blue Line" flag as a sign of support for law enforcement while others view it as a symbol of white supremacy or a stand against the racial justice movement.
Plum, 36, was cited for criminal damage to property. Although, police said they could not classify the incident as a hate crime because the “facts of this case do not meet the elements required for an enhancement to a hate crime.”
An Instacart company spokesperson told NBC News that Plum has been removed as a driver.
“We’ve been in direct contact with the customers to refund their order and provide additional resources. 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,” the spokesperson said.
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