RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) -- A bizarre incident at a Waffle House led to four Lexington men being cited by police following a high-speed chase.
Devin Chenault, 21, Shawn Caldwell, 18, Robert Greer, 19, and Marcus Graves, 18, were sitting at the counter in the restaurant early Friday morning when a fight between two girls broke out. A restaurant employee flagged down nearby police officers to help break up the fight, and when the officers entered the restaurant the four men took off without paying their nearly $100 tab.
Richmond Police Chief Wanda Singleton and two detectives tried to stop the men in the parking lot, but the men hopped in a car and nearly struck the officers as they were leaving the lot, according to Richmond police.
Police chased the men at speeds reaching 100 mph before the men crashed into a pole. The men tried to run away after the crash, but were captured by authorities.
All four men were charged with alcohol intoxication. Chenault was also charged with fleeing and evading, resisting arrest and identity theft. Caldwell, the driver, faces charges of reckless driving, driving under the influence and 10 counts of wanton endangerment.
Graves and one of the police officers were treated for minor injuries at Central Baptist hospital.
“Once you take a vehicle, which is considered a deadly weapon, and try to run over officers, that’s no different than pulling a weapon and firing a shot over their heads,” said Richmond Sgt. William Reardon.
Reardon didn’t say how the men rolled up such a high tab at the restaurant, where the most expensive item on the menu is around $10.
Goosey's Imaginings..
Chief Singleton was asked why someone would do something like this. After a long pause, Singleton responded, "There's no telling what someone will do when you're all hopped up on the syrup."
They were treated for minor injuries at a hospital? Like what? Diabetic seizures?
Lawyers for the arrested men are preparing for an insanity defense, whereby the assailants had visions because of the amount of food and sugar induced at the restaurant. This has preliminarily been dubbed "The Mrs. Butterworth defense".
