Tennessee man pleads guilty to threatening Little Caesars worker with AK-47

A man who made national headlines for threatening employees of a Knoxville Little Caesars with an AK-47 rifle because his pizza was not "hot-n-ready" has pleaded guilty in the case.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A man who made national headlines for threatening employees of a Knoxville Little Caesars with an AK-47 rifle because his pizza was not "hot-n-ready" has pleaded guilty in the case.

Charles Doty Jr., 64, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated assault on Aug. 23. A sentencing date has been scheduled for September 29.

He was arrested in November 2021 after the altercation at the Little Caesars store on Cedar Bluff Road. According to the incident report, Doty became angry when told it would take 10 minutes to make his "hot-n-ready" pepperoni pizza.

Kimberleigh Murrell, who was serving him, said he became "mad, frustrated" and demanded breadsticks. Police said it was then that Doty exited the store and returned with an AK-47.

Murrell told WATE Doty pointed the gun at her and said, "Where is my pizza? I want my pizza now."

He left the store before the police arrived after another customer handed him their own pizza.

“It wasn’t even a 10-minute wait when he came in with the gun," said Noah Beeler, who was working at the store that day. "If he would have not come in with the gun and waited another two maybe three minutes, it would have already been boxed and in his hands."