Past Meat Superintendent Doug Ramsey Suspended After Arrest Over Alleged Nostril Biting

Beyond Meat said its operations manager, Doug Ramsey, has been suspended effective immediately after he was arrested Saturday night for allegedly hitting a man and biting his nose.

The company said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that Jonathan Nelson, the company’s senior vice president of manufacturing operations, will temporarily oversee Beyond’s operational activities.

Ramsey, 53, has been charged with terrorism-related threats and third-degree assault and has been jailed in the Washington County Jail after allegedly assaulting a driver in a parking garage near Razorback Stadium.

According to a preliminary police report from CNBC, Ramsey allegedly punched through the rear windshield of a Subaru after it made contact with the front tire of Ramsey’s car. The Subaru owner then got out of his car, and Ramsey reportedly began hitting him and biting his nose, “tearing the flesh at the tip of his nose,” according to the report. The victim and a witness also claimed Ramsey told the Subaru owner he was going to kill him.

Ramsey has been chief operating officer of Beyond Meat since December. News of his arrest after a University of Arkansas football game brought more attention to the vegan food company, which is grappling with disappointing sales and investor skepticism about its long-term growth prospects. The stock is down 75% this year, pushing its market cap down to $1.02 billion. Just three years ago, the company was valued at $13.4 billion.

Before joining Beyond Meat, Ramsey spent three decades at Tyson Foods overseeing the Poultry and McDonald’s businesses. Beyond Meat relied on his experience to help the company successfully execute large-scale launches, particularly at fast-food companies like Taco Bell-owner Yum Brands and McDonald’s.

Ramsey did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC.