Buffet Brawl Over Crab Legs Ends With Two People Fencing With Tongs, Smashed Plates, And Multiple Arrests
Food fights are most often associated with young children and rowdy teenagers, and they are most often associated with school cafeterias or the occasional “pie in the face gag.” Still, the chaotic event is more uncommon than you may think and is often relegated to being featured in children’s television show and literature.
Despite its juvenile nature, it seems two Alabama adults were keen on bringing new meaning to the phrase after a brawl broke out over some crab legs.
As reported by WHNT, a fight broke out last week at a restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama. As WHNT explains, two restaurant patrons were upset over the long wait for some crab legs, and things got heated in the buffet line once the savory seafood was finally restocked.
At Meteor Buffet — located off of Memorial Parkway in Huntsville — a fight broke out between John Chapman and Chequita Jenkins over their spots in the buffet line. It seems the two restaurant-goers had been waiting for the crab legs to be replenished. Once a new batch of seafood arrived, a fight broke out between the two, who claimed that the other had cut in front of the line.
Huntsville police officer Gerald Johnson was also present at the restaurant, but not for the reasons you might expect. At the time, Johnson was attempting to enjoy a nice, quiet meal to cap off the work week, but he was soon interrupted by the sound of Chapman and Jenkins, who had gotten into a verbal altercation. As WHNT reports, the officer had barely started his meal before he heard sounds of a fight breaking out, followed by a rather odd noise.
@FredFaour Gem of the day nominee. People sword fighting with tongs at the all-you-can-eat crab leg buffet is pure gold! https://t.co/vbCcEcshLC
— Shawn Silman (@shawnsilman) February 27, 2019
It turns out that both Chapman and Jenkins had started to attack each other with serving tongs in what has been described as a “fencing match,” albeit with some rather bizarrely improvised weapons.
Officer Johnson recounted the event to WHNT.
“There’s a woman who’s beating a man. People are moving around, plates are shattering everywhere,” Johnson recalled. “It’s not something you typically hear, if you can imagine a fencing match,” he said.
While Johnson was surprised by the events that had taken place, he did explain that emotions run high at the seafood buffet.
“They’d been waiting there for the crab legs for a good 10, 20 minutes. When they finally came out, it’s very heated. Especially if someone is taking more than their fair share,” Johnson explained.
After talking with the officer, both Chapman and Jenkins admitted that they had let their emotions get the best of them. The two were arrested, with Chapman facing charges of disorderly conduct. Jenkins — who emerged from the brawl unharmed — was arrested and charged with third-degree assault, as Chapman suffered a cut during the brawl.
