Friday 17 December 2021

PICTURED: Purple-haired Instacart driver who flattened elderly couple's groceries after spotting pro-police sign wrote 'F*** the police' on receipt

 A purple-haired Instacart driver ran over an elderly couple's groceries that she had just delivered after seeing a Blue Lives Matter flag in the driveway of their Minnesota home and scribbled F*** the police' on a receipt she pinned to their door.

Tara Plum, 36, of Coon Rapids, was delivering the couple's groceries from Cub Foods on December 6 when she spotted a pro-police sign reading 'Thank you Blaine PD' with a Blue Lives Matter flag in the front yard of their home.

After noticing the sign, she left them a derogatory note and ran over $50 worth of groceries in the driveway of their home, police said. 

The disgruntled driver allegedly yelled at the couple as she peeled away from their and told them to check the wreath on their front door.

Plum wrote 'Instacart doesn't pay employees. Sry [sic] find another slave. F*** the police,' as well as calling them 'racist pigs' on a receipt, according to the Blaine Police Department.

She has since been cited for criminal damage to the property and could face a 90 day sentence if convicted. A court date for Plum has not been set yet.

The couple was reimbursed for the damaged groceries and Plum has been fired by Instacart, the mobile app delivery service.

Instacart driver Tara Plum, 36, ran over an elderly couple's $50 worth of groceries after noticing a pro-police sign in their yard

Instacart driver Tara Plum, 36, ran over an elderly couple's $50 worth of groceries after noticing a pro-police sign in their yard

Plum scribbled 'Instacart doesn't pay employees. Sry find another slave. F*** the police,' as well as calling them 'racist pigs' on a receipt

Plum scribbled 'Instacart doesn't pay employees. Sry find another slave. F*** the police,' as well as calling them 'racist pigs' on a receipt

The couple's Instacart receipt featuring an image of Plum after they had placed the order with CubFoods

The couple's Instacart receipt featuring an image of Plum after they had placed the order with CubFoods


Police in Blaine, a Minneapolis suburb located 17 miles north of the city, are continuing to investigate the incident, which they say may not classify as a hate crime. 

'We would have to prove the act was committed based on the victim's perceived race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age or national origin,' Captain Mark Boerboom said.

Since receiving the citation, Plum posted to Facebook in anger over the incident. 

'Disorderly conduct and property damage for running over Instacart groceries that I wasn't paid to deliver and the customer got reimbursed by Instacart, but somehow I damaged their property that they weren't getting because the delivery person and shopper of the order didn't get f***ing paid,' she said.

The couple's relatives have since organized a grocery fund with $13,920 raised as of Thursday

The couple's relatives have since organized a grocery fund with $13,920 raised as of Thursday

Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany told Fox 9 that he understands that not everybody likes them but there was no reason for Plum to take her anger out on the innocent couple

Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany told Fox 9 that he understands that not everybody likes them but there was no reason for Plum to take her anger out on the innocent couple 

Instacart released a statement saying it was 'appalled by the unacceptable actions of this shopper, who has been removed from the Instacart platform as a result.'

 'We'll continue to provide support to the impacted customers and will also work directly with local law enforcement on any investigations into this matter,' it added.   

A grocery fund set up by the couple's loved ones on GoFundMe three days after the incident has already accumulated $13,920 - far exceeding the $500 goal.

'Tara probably doesn't know how carefully those $50 in groceries were budgeted for. Or how devastating the recent medical diagnosis has been. Or how scared and vulnerable her vile act of hatred made them feel,' Amber Gray, one of the fundraiser organizers, wrote.

Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany told Fox 9: 'We're law enforcement. We get not everybody likes us, we understand that. But don't take that out on innocent people out there, especially people who are trying to contribute to this person's livelihood.'   

A press release from the Blaine Police Department detailing the incident that took place on December 6

A press release from the Blaine Police Department detailing the incident that took place on December 6

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