In May 2015, Cheryl Treadway from Florida managed to escape a hostage situation with the help of Pizza Hut. While being held at knifepoint by her boyfriend, Ethan Nickerson, Treadway ordered a pizza through the Pizza Hut app and included a note asking for help. The local Pizza Hut called the police, who arrived and arrested Nickerson.
Treadway’s case highlights the dangers of domestic violence, with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experiencing abuse. Her story is similar to a Super Bowl PSA in which a woman calls 911 pretending to order pizza to secretly signal for help. This situation stresses the importance of recognizing subtle signs of distress and having resources like safety planning tools to help those in abusive relationships.
