A London man was arrested last night after allegedly hitting a restaurant employee with a pool ball who told him he could not leave the building with his drink.
The violence broke out around 10 p.m. Monday at a restaurant in the 300-block of Clarke Road. When a worker told 29-year-old Kodey Phillep Robinson Wheeler he could not take his alcohol outside, Wheeler allegedly began hurling racial slurs.
As more staff stepped in to help, Wheeler allegedly threatened to shoot them. Then, while one worker led him toward the exit, he allegedly pulled a pool ball from his pocket and struck the employee with it. Police say he shouted more death threats before leaving on foot.
Security cameras filmed the entire attack. Police found Wheeler a short time later near Royal Crescent and arrested him. The threats reportedly continued inside the police car, where Wheeler allegedly told an officer he would kill him.
The London Police Hate Crime Unit reviewed the case because of the alleged racial slurs Wheeler used during the outburst, but said that his “criminal actions against a separate employee do not meet the definition of a hate-motivated crime.”
He now faces charges of assault with a weapon and four counts of making death threats. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Wheeler goes to court on February 12.
