AUSTIN, Texas — A 19-year-old man has been charged with a second-degree felony after stabbing a former coworker at a Whataburger in Austin.
According to an affidavit obtained by KVUE, the incident occurred on July 27 at the Whataburger located in the 2800 block of Guadalupe Street, near the University of Texas campus.
Police received a call reporting a stabbing at around 6:30 p.m. Officers arrived and located a man suffering from a 3-inch deep stab wound in his neck that was causing him to bleed profusely. He was immediately taken to Dell Seton Hospital by Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS).
Police noticed a pool of blood near the restaurant's doors, then noticed droplets of blood that tracked through the dining area and into the kitchen. A witness to the incident was also covered in blood.
The witness told police that he saw a man continuously shouting expletives from the back of the seating area while he and his wife were placing their order. After ordering, they sat down and the man continued screaming, apparently at no one in particular.
Eventually, a Whataburger employee, identified as 19-year-old Jamone Grant, walked up to the screaming man and began speaking with him. The man stood up and shouted at the employee, which started a physical altercation.
The witness told police he then attempted to separate the two men, noticing a large knife reminiscent of a hunting knife on the floor. The witness threw the knife across the restaurant to get it out of reach of the two men fighting.
The witness said he then noticed blood everywhere and pulled the man outside away from Grant.
Police then spoke to the manager of the Whataburger, who confirmed that Grant was employed and the other man was a former employee who still frequently visited the restaurant.
Detectives noticed on surveillance footage that Grant had told the victim something before he stood up and shouted at him. Grant took a "fighting stance," while the other man did not. The footage showed Grant backing up two feet and place something in a trash can, before removing a knife from his front pocket. At no point during the altercation did the victim assume a fighting stance, according to police.
When the victim noticed that Grant had a knife, he attempted to step back but had no room to get away from Grant, who was blocking the exit.
Detectives noticed that the victim attempted to step beside Grant with his hands down, but surveillance then showed Grant extend the knife's blade and stab him in the left side of his neck.
After the initial stabbing, the victim attempted to fight off Grant, who then slashed the victim a few more times during the scuffle before dropping the knife. Surveillance showed Grant punch the victim four more times before the witness intervened.
While the witness was attempting to restrain the man, police noticed Grant step away and retrieve the knife.
After the stabbing, surveillance captured Grant walking through the kitchen and retrieving his belongings before leaving the restaurant and going to an apartment complex across the street.
On July 29, Grant contacted police, telling them that he wanted to turn himself in. He was taken to the police station shortly after.
In his interview with detectives, Grant told police that he noticed the victim screaming and swearing and was told by his manager to calm the man down.
Grant said he was mimicking a fighting pose to deter the victim from approaching him, but the altercation continued. He told police that the victim grabbed a hold of him and stabbed him when he pushed the man backwards.
Grant admitted to police that he backed away after the stabbing and retrieved the knife. He claimed that he left the scene in a panic and walked across the street to order a Lyft and go home. He told police that he only stabbed the man once, while surveillance showed him stabbing or slashing the victim at least two additional times, according to the affidavit.
Grant initially told police that he still had the bloody knife at his apartment before claiming he had thrown it in a parking lot while waiting for the Lyft driver, then reverting back to his original story. Police executed a search warrant at Grant's apartment and located the knife, along with the clothing he had worn that day, some of which was bloodstained.
Police interviewed the victim, who could not speak but nodded to provide an account of what happened. A nurse confirmed the victim had suffered from two stab wounds: one to the neck and one to the forearm. A DNA test was also administered on the victim.
Grant has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.