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WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Tenleytown Chick-fil-A official who has beaten violently with a client who has become very viral on Twitter this week, denounces the incident.
"What this video has shown is just that I'm defending myself, but I really would like the situation to change completely," says Rudolph Smith, a former director who was fired for this incident.
He says that the man started screaming at a group of customers about his phone.
One of his colleagues asked Smith to intervene and he politely asked him to leave.
At this point, Smith says that the man featured in the video also came in, without a shirt, and started screaming at the customers, then at him.
He said, "Now, one of you said you were going to cut me off," Smith said. "He pointed to me, he approached me and said," I'll beat you after I finish beating the police. "
Smith says that he went back to his office and when he came back, the men were gone.
A few minutes later, the man presented in the video came back. Smith says that he tried to get back behind the counter.
"It's a big no for us, we do not need guests behind the counter," says Smith. "I push him, I'm like you can not be here now, you really have to go in. I see a baby right next to him, so I pushed him further to the side of the baby, Is when he hit me. "
The video that has become viral on social media does not show this interaction.
However, a video taken by another witness, an American University student, Shea O 'Leary, shows these few seconds before the fight.
"I've never seen anything like it in person," says O & # 39; Leary. "He was put in a position where he had practically only one option, when the guy was trying to get behind the counter and after he hit you, you understand where he came from in that position."
A military police report of the incident indicates that the officers arrested the client for a simple assault, not Smith.
He states that the customer was shouting at the other customers and came behind the employee's counter, Smith asked him to leave, then the customer then punched and both started fighting.
"In addition to violence, there are probably 100 ways to move forward," says Smith.
He told WDCW that he was sorry for the pain he had caused to the client.
He thinks the in-store surveillance video shows everything that preceded the fight, including many peaceful attempts to get the man off, but they could not access the surveillance video Tuesday evening.
"Chick-fil-A is a great organization and they really take care of us," says Smith. "I am very proud to work with them, if they have the opportunity to come back, I will certainly take it."
In a statement to WDCW, Chick-fil-A officials said:
"There is a viral video of an altercation that took place on September 4 between a member of the restaurant team and a person in a franchise restaurant outside of Washington, DC This video is incredibly disturbing and we do not tolerate it. violence Team members' reaction to the situation The restaurateurs of our franchise and the members of their team strive to create a safe and welcoming environment and treat all guests with dignity and respect. that, we are really sorry. "
"According to the franchise operator, the member of the team involved in the altercation no longer works in the restaurant.We continue to investigate this situation, including what has happened. happened before the video was taken and how it escalated so quickly. "
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