DoorDash Driver Arrested in Food Spitting Incident

A late-night DoorDash order became a scare for safety after a delivery driver was accused of spraying an unknown substance on customers’ food, which caused burning sensations and led to a quick law enforcement response. Doorbell video recorded when the food was sprayed before its delivery and allowed investigators to arrest the driver, Kourtney N. Stevenson, on felony charges.

What Police Say Happened During the Late-Night Delivery

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office said a couple told authorities that their mouths and noses began burning after they ate food they had delivered to their home shortly after midnight. They reviewed security footage of the driver appearing to spray the order on the doorstep before handing it over. The case was about customers in McCracken County, Kentucky, and the footage became an important piece of evidence in the investigation, authorities said.

Stevenson allegedly told police she used pepper spray on a spider because she was “deathly afraid” of the arachnids. Deputies found the account implausible given the conditions — temperatures in the mid-30s that night and minimal spider activity outside, authorities said. The driver was arrested on preliminary charges of battery and consumer product tampering as the case moves through the legal process.

Felony Counts and the Law on Consumer Product Tampering

“Tainted consumer products are often taken very seriously at both the federal and state level of our legal system as they pose a direct threat to public safety,” said Garnett, professor of law.

The Department of Justice handles tampering cases under 18 U.S.C. § 1365 — the law that prohibits knowingly altering or contaminating products consumed by people. In addition to potential criminal exposure, defendants may also be liable in civil claims based on injury or emotional distress. Remember, innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

What DoorDash Policies Require to Protect Food Safety

In DoorDash’s community guidelines, tampering is prohibited and Dashers are forbidden from opening or changing packaged orders. More restaurants have also been turning to tamper-evident seals to lower that risk, which, the platform says, can result in immediate deactivation. DoorDash does require background checks for couriers and advises customers to report safety concerns within the app, where teams can investigate, reimburse, and work with law enforcement as necessary.

Incidents like this are rare but erode the trust of a sector that depends on safe handoffs and chain-of-custody certainty. Platforms, restaurants, and packaging suppliers have been forced to impose more rigorous precautions as app-based delivery has proliferated in recent years — from sealed containers and labels to new pickup workflows that cut down on unnecessary contact with food.

Why This Incident Resonates With Food Delivery Users

Food safety experts stress that perception is key: A single sensational video can erode consumer trust in the entire category. According to a recent US Foods survey of delivery drivers that’s often cited, 28 percent said they had sampled the food at least once and 54 percent were tempted by fries. That’s not cross-contamination, but it helps to explain why tamper-evident packaging and vigilant policing are necessary when so much trust must be taken as a given.

Police are increasingly relying on home surveillance recordings to confirm or deny allegations of tampering. In a lot of the delivery disputes, what separates a customer complaint from a criminal case comes down to video, time stamps, and the state of seals and packaging at the time of handoff.

How Customers Should Protect Themselves When Ordering

They recommend a spot-check at the door: Are tamper seals and lids intact? If anything appears amiss, document the packaging with photos or video before opening it. Report any concerns immediately through the delivery app and save the items in case authorities ask for them. If a chemical is estimated to have been ingested, call Poison Control for advice and/or medical treatment if symptoms are progressing.

For late-night orders, provide good drop-off instructions in well-lit areas and request contactless delivery so food can be placed and snapped — without a hand-to-hand exchange.

These incremental measures — along with the safety tools built by platforms themselves — help ensure clearer lines of evidence when something does go wrong.

The Bottom Line on Safety Amid Delivery Tampering Fears

The purported spraying incident is a stark reminder that food delivery safety depends on a chain of behavior, from the sealing at the restaurant, to how a courier behaves and how vigilant customers are. As the case against the accused driver makes its way through authorities, platforms and restaurants will continue to refine protections set in place to make such episodes even less likely — and easier — in which to flourish when they do.