A Whataburger manager in Texas took matters into his own hands, striking a disruptive customer with a trash can. This incident followed an earlier altercation where the individual allegedly assaulted an employee and later returned to the restaurant intoxicated, leading to another attack.
The man involved, Anthony William Newhouse, 41, had been removed from the Paris, Texas location, which is around 160 miles from Dallas. WFAA covered the unfolding events.
After being asked to leave, Newhouse promised to return and confront the manager again if the police departed. Soon enough, he did just that, initiating a renewed assault that prompted the manager’s quick response.
Footage that has circulated widely shows the manager forcefully swinging a trash can as an employee shouts for someone to activate the panic button. A bystander, Billy Jones, who recorded the altercation, mentioned that another Whataburger worker struck Newhouse with a wire fry basket, causing him to lose his balance and collapse.
When police arrived, they found Newhouse injured and bleeding in the parking lot behind the restaurant. He was subsequently arrested on multiple charges including assault, public intoxication, and criminal mischief.
According to authorities, Newhouse continued to disrupt operations within the jail, even flooding a cell. This behavior resulted in an additional charge for mischief under $750.
In light of this incident, a spokesperson for Whataburger emphasized their commitment to the safety of both customers and employees, stating, “We take incidents like this seriously and are cooperating fully with authorities.”
This situation isn’t isolated; there have been other recent instances where restaurant staff have had to defend themselves against aggressive patrons. For example, in December, a fight erupted between Chipotle employees and unruly customers in Connecticut after one customer threw something at an employee. When the employee responded, chaos ensued as customers pushed back, leading to a larger brawl inside the restaurant.
