Patrons defend restaurant after stabbing incident

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A woman is out on $30,000 bond after police say she bit and stabbed multiple people at a Whitehaven Mexican restaurant last Thursday.

Ejeanae Lewis, 23, is accused of attacking employees and customers at La Cocina Mexicana Bar & Grill.

Days after the alleged attack, WREG stopped by the restaurant to speak with customers who said that the incident left them in shock.

“Everybody here (is) like family, so however that incident happened yesterday, that must have been their first time coming here,” patron Frank Gottie said.

Gottie told WREG that he’s a regular at the restaurant, and it was hard to hear about the stabbing that took place last Thursday.

MPD: Woman stabs, assaults restaurant workers and customers

Lewis is currently facing multiple charges, including assault, vandalism, and public intoxication.

In the arrest report, one officer says when they arrived at the restaurant, they took Lewis into custody immediately, but she was irate, crying, and sweating profusely.

A security guard told officers this all began after Lewis tried to leave with a serving tray.

They tried to stop her, but while storming out the door, Lewis allegedly pushed a group of women gathered outside.

A fight ensued, and Lewis reportedly pulled out a knife, stabbed one security guard, bit another guard, and then started kicking and hitting his vehicle.

Another woman later showed up at the hospital saying she, too, had been stabbed at the restaurant.

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Lewis is said to face a judge at 201 Poplar on Tuesday morning.

“You have to look at things from two different sides,” one woman said. “How was she handled? And being how she was handled, did she feel threatened?”

The woman didn’t want to identify herself but said there was more to the story than meets the eye.

But what she and Gottie both agree on is the fact that the incident is not an accurate reflection of the restaurant’s atmosphere.

“It’s nothing but love, the staff great, everybody great, the people great,” Gottie said. “You know you’re going to have bad every now and then.”

“I don’t go nowhere negative,” the woman said. “This is one of the positive places in Memphis.”

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