A confrontation between two men at a Southern California Wendy’s location boiled over on Tuesday, with chairs thrown and a knife drawn.
A video of the encounter inside the burger chain’s Northridge location shows a Wendy’s customer holding a knife as another man grins has gone viral on social media.
Kyle Manfre was booked into Van Nuys Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. But the 46-year-old content creator and writer told The Times on Wednesday night that he believes he was wrongfully charged.
“I need to clear my name,” Manfre said.
According to Manfre, he and his girlfriend had just finished saying grace when a man who had been cursing at Wendy’s workers suddenly moved to within inches of his face. Manfre said he tried to leave the booth to put some distance between them, but the man, shown in video footage wearing a cap, blocked his exit.
“I was terrified,” Manfre said, adding that he believed he saw a shiny metal object in the man’s fist. He later learned that the metal object was the man’s keys, but at the time, “I thought he was going to kill us,” Manfre said.
He denied using the blade. “I only brandished it,” he said.
The roughly 3-inch pocket knife was confiscated by authorities, Manfre said.
Police have shared limited details about the incident, including the identity of the other man.
A witness, Jesus Lepit, told KTLA that the man in the cap had been arguing with employees when he approached a couple “minding their own business, eating breakfast.”
“He got into that guy’s face.” Lepit told the station. And he saw chairs being “thrown around.”
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed an incident took place at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday in the 18500 block of Devonshire Street.
Police received a call regarding a potential assault with a deadly weapon, according to LAPD spokesperson Officer Charles Miller. Officers arrived to find a man with minor lacerations and detained Manfre on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, the knife.
Manfre, who also requested to be taken to a hospital, was cleared and then booked into Van Nuys Jail, Miller said. Manfre posted $30,000 bail the same day, according to Miller.
Manfre sent The Times several photographs of his swelling and bleeding hand, injuries he said he sustained when he tried to block chairs from hitting his face.
Manfre said he had a lawyer but declined to provide their name.
A court hearing is scheduled at San Fernando Courthouse on Nov. 17, according to jail records.
The post A man with a knife and another one with a grin. Wendy’s encounter goes viral appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
