Video footage shows pandemonium after people started fighting over crab legs at a Chinese buffet in New York City.
The brawl erupted inside the Queens Buffet in the Ozone Park neighborhood on Feb. 23, police told the New York Post.
The fight started when a group of up to 10 people confronted a 30-year-old man and his female companion, 22, while they were sitting and eating.
The group punched and kicked the pair, leaving serious injuries.
Massive brawl erupts over crab legs at Chinese buffet in Queens https://t.co/iU3MUhuPyv pic.twitter.com/wpkmIo5BDj
— New York Post (@nypost) March 7, 2019
Ten people remain wanted by police, but no arrests have been made despite weeks going by since the attack.
Witness Donna Brown, who filmed the video, said the fight stemmed from a dispute over crab legs.
“They are fighting over crab legs!” she said. Police could not confirm the reason for the fight. The video clip lasts about 10 minutes.
“Craziness. They throwing glass around. This is getting real now,” Brown said, narrating. “My people are so ignorant over food. Over food. Crab legs, yo. You can’t make this up. You can’t make this up at all. You can’t make this up. I can’t believe it.”
At one point, Brown said she saw a woman leaving the restaurant with a bloodied neck.
Alabama Brawl
The incident was the second recent brawl at a buffet; a fight broke out at a buffet in Alabama on Feb. 22, leading to two people being arrested.
The dispute surprised diners in addition to a police officer who was just trying to enjoy his meal.
Huntsville police officer Gerald Johnson told WHNT that he had just sat down and had taken only two bites from his plate when the fight broke out at Meteor Buffet.
“There’s a woman who’s beating a man. People are moving around, plates are shattering everywhere,” Johnson said.
The officer said the diners were waiting impatiently in line for crab legs before they lost their tempers.
Johnson described the scene as a “fencing match” where diners were using their tongs like swords, reported the news station. He said, “It’s not something you typically hear.”
“Everyone was saying, ‘They cut me in line. She cut me in line. He cut me in line. I was here first,’” he said.
“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.”
It started when crab legs were late getting to the buffet. It ended with customers using crab tongs like fencing swords and thrown dishes. Details on the crab buffet brawl in Huntsville. https://t.co/EIBsLnCeav pic.twitter.com/at32IYtf67
— News 12 Now (@wdefnews12) February 27, 2019
John Chapman and Chequita Jenkins were arrested as a result of the brawl. The argument left Chapman with a laceration on his head, while Jenkins was not hurt.
Johnson said that after talking to the pair, they admitted they let their anger get the best of them.
Chapman is facing disorderly conduct, while Jenkins was charged with third-degree assault. If found guilty, they could end up being fined a couple hundred dollars.
Epoch Times reporter Janita Kan contributed to this report
