Grandma, 75, Collapsed Dead During Wild Tim Hortons Brawl

The cause of death has been revealed for a 75-year-old grandmother who collapsed and died after a heated confrontation with workers at an Indiana Tim Hortons over an alleged mistake in her order.

Anita Grayson was found unresponsive on the floor of the Fort Wayne coffee shop following the May 13 altercation. Paramedics desperately tried to save her before she was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Nearly two months later, the Allen County Coroner’s Office determined that Grayson died from an “acute exacerbation of congestive heart failure in the setting of physical altercation.”

Her manner of death was officially listed as “undetermined,” according to documents obtained by the Daily Mail.

That ruling means the medical examiner could not determine whether Grayson’s death was natural, accidental or a homicide.

The autopsy also found “no significant contributory injuries,” indicating that any physical injuries Grayson suffered during the confrontation were minor and did not directly cause her death.

Despite the findings, Grayson’s daughter, Tawnda, continues to insist that the fight with a 20-year-old Tim Hortons employee led to her mother’s death.

“Bulls**t and they know it,” Tawnda wrote while sharing the autopsy findings on social media.

“Guys, keep attention on this, don’t give up asking questions as to why they’re handling this all the wrong ways,” she added.

Tawnda urged members of the community to “stand up” for her mother, arguing that Grayson would still be alive if she had never entered the restaurant.

Allen County Coroner Dr. E. Jon Brandenberger, however, defended the findings and said the phrase “acute exacerbation” is crucial to understanding what happened.

“Acute exacerbation means that the heart failure suddenly got much worse,” Brandenberger told WANE. “So, it’s like an acute flare-up of congestive heart failure. Then that will cause symptoms and possibly lead to death.”

He explained that the heart begins pumping faster during a physical confrontation, potentially worsening the symptoms of someone already suffering from congestive heart failure.

Surveillance video from inside the Tim Hortons showed Grayson confronting several young employees while complaining about an alleged error with her drive-thru order.

The tense encounter escalated after a 20-year-old worker told Grayson to leave the restaurant.

Police said Grayson then “forcefully” shoved the employee and another staff member before striking one of the workers in the face and ripping out a lock of her hair.

In response, the worker swung her arms at Grayson and knocked her backward onto the floor.

Grayson later got back on her feet, and the store manager reportedly brought her a cup of water in an effort to calm her down.

However, when police officers arrived approximately 10 minutes later, Grayson was unresponsive.

Tawnda initially posted only a portion of the security footage showing her mother being knocked down. The disturbing clip triggered outrage online and demands that the Tim Hortons workers involved be arrested.

Police later released the full surveillance video, which they said showed that Grayson had initiated the physical confrontation.

Authorities said they hoped releasing the complete footage would “alleviate the uneasiness that many felt after seeing the video.”

Tawnda remained unconvinced.

She acknowledged in May that her mother suffered from congestive heart failure but said she did not accept the police department’s version of what happened.

“You should not enter a coffee shop for a coffee and a doughnut and come out unalived,” she told WPTA. “That is diabolical.”

“That’s an elderly lady. That’s not how we treat our senior citizens,” she continued.

“We be careful with them. We make sure that they’re alright. We don’t jump on them and attack them. And scare them to death.”

Brandenberger said investigators conducted an “exhaustive investigation and review” of all the available evidence before reaching their decision.

“After exhaustive review, we could not determine with reasonable certainty that Mrs. Grayson’s death was either natural, or homicide, or accident,” he told WANE.

“Therefore, the manner of death that is appropriate to use is undetermined, meaning it could not be determined.”

No Tim Hortons employees have been charged in connection with the deadly confrontation, which remains under investigation.

The Allen County Prosecutor’s Office is expected to receive the final autopsy report from the coroner and will review the findings before deciding whether any further action should be taken.

Tim Hortons previously released a statement expressing sympathy for Grayson’s family.

“We were deeply saddened to learn about this incident and our heartfelt condolences go out to the loved ones of Anita Grayson,” the company said.

“The health and safety of our guests and team members is our highest priority and the local franchisee has been cooperating fully with the local police.”