Taco Bell Employee Fires Shots After Drive-Thru Dispute, Faces Charges

Clarence C. James, a 48-year-old Taco Bell employee, was arrested March 2 after police say he drew a 9mm handgun on a customer trying to force his way behind the counter, then followed the pair outside and fired several rounds into the air as they fled. James was found with the weapon when Muskego Police arrived at the Janesville Road location around 1:10 p.m. and was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

The altercation began at the drive-thru. According to the criminal complaint, a man and woman who had placed an order became upset with what they received. The man came inside to confront employees and allegedly attempted to push past the counter. James and co-workers moved to block him. The male "pushed past James and shoved him back several feet," the complaint states, at which point James drew the handgun from the right side of his waistband and pointed it at the man with his arm extended.

The confrontation didn't end there. A minute after the male entered, the woman from the Jeep came inside as well, also trying to get behind the counter. When both customers eventually stepped outside, James followed and fired several shots into the air as the pair left in a black Jeep with Illinois plates. Dispatch audio captured what was unfolding inside before the shooting: "There's currently a physical fight going on at Taco Bell between customers trying to get into the kitchen area. All I hear is screaming and they're just requesting police. Can't get any other information."

No one was struck by the gunfire. One person was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries related to the physical fight. The two customers had left the scene before officers arrived.

When police ran James's concealed carry permit, they found it had expired on Dec. 13, 2025, nearly three months before the incident. That detail anchored the misdemeanor CCW charge filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court. A separate charge of first-degree recklessly endangering safety was referred to the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office for review.

James was held in the Waukesha County Jail and made his first court appearance the following Wednesday. A court commissioner ordered his release on a $750 signature bond, which required no cash payment. His defense attorney told the court James has no criminal record. Prosecutors instructed him to renew his CCW permit and ordered that he possess no firearms in the meantime. His next court hearing is set for April 13. A conviction on the misdemeanor CCW charge carries a maximum penalty of nine months in jail.

The shooting also triggered a lockdown at a nearby daycare, according to local reports. The Muskego Police Department issued a statement shortly after the incident confirming the scene had been secured: "At this time, there is no threat to public safety and the scene has been deemed safe by officers."

The investigation remains ongoing, and the status of the two customers who fled has not been publicly confirmed.