Man killed in shooting at Popeyes was a DoorDash driver, court document says
A man accused of fatally shooting one man and injuring another at a restaurant in Kansas City over the weekend is facing a second-degree murder charge in Jackson County court.
Joseph Watson, 22, faces one count each of second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree assault or attempted assault, according to a press release from Jazzlyn Johnson, director of communications for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Watson also faces three counts of armed criminal action, according to a warrant in support of his arrest.
Officers with the Kansas City Police Department were called to a Popeyes in the area of East 31st Street and Prospect Avenue around 8 p.m. Saturday on reports of a shooting, according to a press release from department spokesperson Capt. Jake Becchina.
There, officers found one man suffering from a gunshot wound to the face in the parking lot, according to a probable cause statement in support of Watson’s arrest. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
A second man, identified by police as Decorrian Partee, 28, was found unresponsive in the restaurant near the restrooms, the statement said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Employees at the restaurant told investigators one of the victims had gotten into a verbal argument with Watson after he asked employees to call his phone, which he couldn’t locate, according to the statement.
Video surveillance showed the victim leaving his backpack at a table before getting up to speak with an employee at the restaurant counter, according to the probable cause statement. As he was at the counter, Watson and another person arrived and sat down at a table near the victim’s backpack.
The victim returned to his table and appeared to be looking for something. He then walked back up to the counter and asked an employee to call his phone; Watson began to argue with him and appeared to be “clutching something in his coat,” according to the probable cause statement.
Watson, who was wearing a mask, then walked up to the victim and hit him in the face before pulling out a rifle and pointing it at him, according to the probable cause statement.
Watson then lowered the gun and began to walk out the door, but the victim continued to yell at him, the statement said. The victim approached Watson and the other person , where Watson pulled down his mask and spit on the victim.
The victim spit back at Watson, and Watson fired one shot, according to the probable cause statement. The victim grabbed his face and moved away from the door.
Surveillance footage showed Partee, who was standing at the counter, jumping and running toward the hallway, according to the probable cause statement. The shot fired by Watson struck the first victim’s cheek, exited the other, before striking Partee.
A person with Partee told investigators they had been working for DoorDash, a food delivery service, and they stopped at Popeyes to pick up an order, according to the statement.
The person stayed in the car while Partee went in to pick up the order, according to the statement. The co-worker ran inside after hearing the gunshot.
City cameras showed Watson and the person with him running from the scene, according to the statement. Surveillance footage also revealed the pair had been at a local business earlier in the evening.
Investigators responded to the business, where employees told them Watson had made a purchase at the store earlier in the evening and left a phone number for the store’s rewards program, according to the statement.
Through the phone number, investigators were able to locate Watson’s address, where investigators had previously responded to several calls , with one being placed just days prior, according to the statement. In that incident, Watson allegedly threatened to shoot the caller.
Homicide detectives and SWAT arrested Watson at his residence, the statement said. As he was taken into custody, Watson allegedly said, “That man hit me in the head.”
In an interview with investigators, Watson claimed he did not leave his residence the day of the homicide, according to the probable cause statement. Another resident in the home identified Watson to police as the suspect in the video surveillance footage from Popeyes. The weapon used in the shooting has not been recovered.
Watson is being held in the Jackson County jail on a $250,000 cash-only bond, according to the jail’s inmate listing.
This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 9:36 PM.
