‘I didn’t do nothing’: Autistic black teen spends too long in a McDonald’s toilet. Then Texas cop drags her out and put her in a chokehold
Spending too long in a McDonald’s bathroom might raise questions. But for one Texas college student, changing clothes and fixing her hair allegedly ended with her being handcuffed and dragged across a parking lot.
Victoria Lang, 19, had stopped at a McDonald’s in Wichita Falls, Texas, while waiting for her college dorm room to become available. Staff reportedly thought she had spent too long in the restroom and called the police. What followed would later put the officers’ own actions under scrutiny.
According to Atlanta Black Star, bodycam footage showed how quickly the encounter escalated. Lang is autistic, making the circumstances even more concerning. It is not the first time questions have been raised over what actually justified a teenager’s detention.
It never had to go this far
The incident happened on August 26, 2025, when Wichita Falls police officers Daniel Wilson and Douglas Gulley responded around 11 a.m. A manager had called 911 because Lang had reportedly spent about two hours in the restroom. Staff also apparently believed she was homeless.
Lang was actually a sophomore at Midwestern State University. She had arrived on campus that morning but could not check into her dorm because the room was not ready. She went to McDonald’s to change clothes and freshen up while she waited.
Wilson’s bodycam showed Lang fixing her hair beneath a bonnet in the restroom mirror. She refused his repeated requests for her name and birthdate and said she had no ID. A female employee wanted Lang to leave but hesitated when asked whether she wanted her formally barred or trespassed.
Wilson warned Lang she could go to jail for refusing to identify herself. Frustrated, she held out her wrists and said, “Let’s take it there.” Wilson handcuffed her, and when belongings fell from her purse, she tried to close it with her teeth before officers removed the bag.
Lang eventually sat on the floor and would not stand. Without first giving her verbal commands to get up or walk, Wilson and Gulley carried her facedown through the restaurant by her cuffed arms and legs. A later police review noted the lack of commands.
Outside, Lang protested, “I didn’t do nothing.” As Wilson pressed her toward the concrete, she complained about her neck and told him, “You’re literally trying to choke me.”
Wilson then grabbed Lang by her ankles and dragged her toward his police vehicle. He positioned her legs in what records called a “figure-four hold” while putting her into the backseat. The department later found that Wilson used inappropriate force, carrying methods, and body positioning.
For an autistic student, a tense encounter can become harder when their responses are misunderstood, particularly when someone else enters what should feel like a private space.
Lang was booked into the Wichita County Jail for resisting arrest and interfering with public duties and released the next day on $5,000 in bonds. The charges were later dismissed.
An internal investigation found Lang was not combative, yelling, screaming, or creating a scene, despite Wilson reportedly describing her differently over police radio. The department deemed his force unreasonable, unnecessary, and excessive.
Wilson was fired in November 2025, while Gulley later resigned. The Texas Rangers opened a criminal investigation as activists pushed for accountability and the bodycam footage.
On May 6, 2026, authorities announced Wilson’s indictment. Court records showed two counts of official oppression connected to Lang’s arrest.
The department has since reviewed training on de-escalation, mental health crises, arrest techniques, and when officers should make an arrest. But those changes came only after Lang’s wait for her dorm room ended in an arrest the department later determined should not have unfolded that way.
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