Wendy's Employee Accused of Pouring Hot Oil on Customer in Tennessee, Causing Extensive Burns

A Tennessee man who complained about food he'd ordered from a Wendy's drive-thru was doused with a pan of hot oil by an employee, say police.

On Tuesday night, at about 11 p.m., a customer ordered food from the drive-thru of the Wendy's in Huntingdon and realized it was cold after he pulled away from the window, WBBJ and WCCB report.

Wanting a refund, he went through the drive-thru line again, at which point an altercation ensued between the customer and an employee, say police.

According to surveillance video, "the employee left the drive-thru window and went to the cooking area and got a container cup of hot oil," Walter Smothers, Public Safety Director for the Huntingdon Police Department, said, WBBJ reports.

Holding oil from the french fry fryer, the employee, identified by police as Demarrus Pritchett, "came back, opened the window back up, and threw it on the man that was making the complaint," Smothers said.

"The young man threw his arm up to shield his face," Smothers added. "The brunt of the oil hit his underarm, down his side. He had second and third-degree burns, blisters and so forth on his arms."

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The victim, who has not been identified by police, was rushed to a local hospital where he was treated for extreme burns and blistering, WBBJ reports.

Pritchett, 23, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, according to the Carroll County General Sessions Court Clerk. He has been released on a $5,000 bond.

The court did not have any information about whether or not Pritchett has hired an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

It is unclear whether he has been disciplined or fired for his alleged actions.

The mother of the victim told WBBJ that her son still cannot believe what happened.

"He was like, 'Mama, I really thought that he was going to go to the back and get my food right, and bring it back," the victim's mother told WBBJ. "He said, 'It shocked me when he threw the grease on me.'"

Pritchett told police that he didn't know the victim well but that the victim was allegedly "harassing him for the past couple of months," WBBJ reports.

"​We would not want to hear of this happening anywhere and certainly regret that it did so in our community," Smothers tells PEOPLE. "A criminal act of this kind is unthinkable and we will be requesting that the District Attorney General's Office prosecute it to the highest level possible."