Drivers' fight in Mesa McDonald's drive-thru led to fatal shooting, records say
An argument early Sunday morning in a McDonald's drive-thru in west Mesa ended in a fatal shooting, court documents reveal.
Carlos Monte-Michaux Heard II, 26, is charged on suspicion of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Daniel Betker, 22, according to court documents and police.
At around 3:09 a.m. on Sunday, Heard was in the drive-thru of the McDonald's on South Country Club Drive between West Southern Avenue and U.S. 60. According to court documents, he believed the driver of another vehicle was insulting him. Subsequently, Heard exited his vehicle, approached the vehicle behind him, and engaged in an argument with the driver, who also got out of his vehicle.
Heard informed the police that he believed the other driver was going to engage in a physical fight with him. In response, he pulled out a firearm, chambered a round, and instructed the driver to return to his car, as outlined in court documents. The driver, fearing for his safety and thinking Heard might shoot him, ran to the other side of the drive-thru to avoid being shot, according to charging documents.
During this incident, police found that Betker witnessed Heard pulling out a gun during the confrontation with his friend, the driver. In response, Betker retrieved his firearm from his vehicle, returned armed, and pointed the gun at Heard, as detailed in court documents. The court documents state that Heard noticed this, leading to a shooting between him and Betker.
During the crossfire, two bystanders in separate vehicles managed to flee, but both vehicles were struck with gunfire projectile, charging documents noted. Heard was not struck during the shooting, but Betker was hit multiple times, leading to his death, according to charging documents. After the shooting, Heard fled and did not report his involvement to police, according to court documents. Heard was tracked down by unspecified law enforcement techniques, court documents show.
Heard said he was defending himself, court documents noted. The firearm he admitted using during the shootout was found in his apartment, according to charging documents.
Heard is also charged with endangerment and disorderly conduct with a weapon, both felonies, court documents show. Heard was taken into custody on Sunday night at the shooting site and is being held on a $1 million bond, according to court and jail records. He has a preliminary court hearing set for Jan. 24, according to jail records.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona McDonald's drive-thru shooting linked to argument, records say
