Restaurant manager attacked over lemonade in Livonia, suspect charged
LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2 ) - A restaurant manager was beaten over a glass of lemonade at a chain seafood restaurant in Livonia last month.
Because a customer, allegedly, did not want to pay for their drinks – Susan Rains was attacked.
"He dumped the drink on me first, and then he smashed it on the side of my head," Rains said. "Then he just punched me in the eye, and I fell to the ground."
The incident took place in early April. Rains suffered a concussion, a black eye, and had to get staples in her head.
"I've been to two hospitals, and too many doctors, counselors and what not that I can't even count," she said.
FOX 2 is not naming the restaurant, at Rains' request. She remains employed by the restaurant chain.
But according to her, two customers complained about their steak, so Rains took the food off the bill and apologized, profusely.
She left $6 worth of drinks on the bill, but the customers crumbled the receipt and tossed it at her. The suspect, Deshaun Kelly, was with the two customers and stepped in.
"We were toe-to-toe. Literally toe-to-toe, and eye-to- eye. And he's calling me all kinds of nasty, horrible names," Rains said. The attack "happened so fast; nobody could've stopped it."
The couple and Kelley quickly left, leaving the manager knocked out inside the restaurant.
"I was told… they just kind of walked over and around me like I was a piece of garbage," Rains said.
The incident was caught on camera. Facial recognition helped Livonia police arrest Kelly a week later. He was charged with assault.
"We want to always be on the side of the customer, but the customer cannot get in your face, and be rude, and mean, and condescending – and just say 'I'm not paying my bill because I don't want to pay my bill,'" Rains said.
The manager will return to work next Monday while continuing therapy for her mental health.
"Am I ready to go back to work? No, but I have to," Rains said.
Kelly was given a $50,000 cash bond.
This is the second time Kelly has gotten in trouble with the law. He previously pleaded guilty to armed robbery in 2015.
