Burger King mask dispute leads to Wayne man choking female worker, cops say

WAYNE — A man choked a female Burger King employee on Saturday, hours after he was involved in a mask dispute at the restaurant, police said.

Police said surveillance video showed township resident David Siversten, 47, walk into the restaurant on Route 23 around 4:10 p.m. approach the worker, wrap both hands around her neck and choke her.

Siversten left the store after another female worker intervened, according to police.

An officer found an agitated Siversten, who seemed to be drunk, seated in a driveway on nearby Newark-Pompton Turnpike. Siversten walked toward the officer and said, "you got me," police said.

Siversten later injured himself while in police custody by intentionally slamming his head into the steel bench to which he was handcuffed, according to police. He was treated at a hospital and then taken to Passaic County Jail on an aggravated assault charge.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ