A delivery driver for Amazon has gone viral on TikTok after being filmed dropping off a package at an active police standoff.
The footage, which has already been viewed more than 7.3 million times, shows the driver casually walking through a cul-de-sac filled with police vehicles.
“Amazon hard at work,” a woman filming says. “In the midst of a standoff, he’s going to deliver his package.”
@mlktrk679 Go #amazon ♬ original sound – ASAM
Originally uploaded on March 18, the video, which appears to have been filmed in North Carolina, goes on to show the driver walking up a driveway before approaching several armed officers. Surprised, the officers order the driver to hand over the package.
The driver is then seen walking off and nonchalantly taking a photograph of the package with his phone in order to confirm the delivery.
The viral footage led to an influx of comments, with many praising the driver for his dedication.
“Someone [is] going for Employee of the Month,” one top comment said.
Others called on former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to immediately issue his drivers a pay raise, while others quipped that the driver was likely more concerned over Bezos (who is no longer CEO) than the armed police.
“More scared of Jeff Bezos than getting taken out,” the user wrote.
But many suggested that the man had no choice. Numerous alleged current and former employees of the online retailer said that the man may have faced consequences had the package not been delivered.
“As a Amazon delivery driver, it was either deliver the package or get fired so,” a commenter said.
Dozens of users also suggested that Amazon use the footage in order to advertise its services.
“Their slogan is ‘rain, sleet, snow or standoff,’” one woman commented.
The local news station ABC11 has since reported that the delivery took place amid a nearly 24-hour-long standoff involving an armed man and an 11-year-old boy hostage. The man ultimately committed suicide, putting an end to the standoff. The boy was treated for gunshot wounds to the neck and arm and is expected to recover.
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said that the company spoke to the driver to remind him that “safety comes first.”
“We always prioritize the safety of the drivers delivering our packages and we regularly communicate with them that if they don’t feel safe, they shouldn’t deliver the package and instead reach out for immediate support. “
