‘I’m not trying to be racist’: Restaurant manager suspended for throwing chair at black customer

A Chicago restaurant manager admits throwing a chair at a Black man, and apologized, but he says his nerves drove him to it

Blue Telusma

Jan 8, 2019

A Chicago restaurant manager has been suspended after he racially profiled and then allegedly threw a chair at a Black customer.

According to Yahoo, last week in a social media video, manager Matthew Fezzey of the Poke Poke eatery, admitted to assaulting a customer named “Kyle” due to preconceived notions based on the man’s race.

“I’m f***ing in the wrong,” Fezzey said to Kyle on the video taken outside the restaurant. “This is the second time in a row, third time in a row. Two days ago — and I’m not trying to be racist — two black guys robbed two people right here.”

“But sir, you threw a chair at me,” interjected Kyle.

“No, listen, three days ago, I had two more black guys. I actually fought them in here. … They tried threatening one of my employees, and I had to fight them,” Fezzey continues.

“When you guys came in here, I just got really f***ing defensive, really defensive because I had to fight them off all the time. These security guards over here don’t do a thing.”

When the customer points out again that explanations aside, a chair was thrown at him, the manager admits, “I know. Again, I’m f***ing way in the wrong. I feel badly. That was just my first instinct because I’ve had to deal with fights here, which I shouldn’t. I legit thought we had to fight.”

“As a human being, man, I shouldn’t have done that s***. I knew it was wrong,” he concludes. “I freaked out.”

A corporate spokesperson for Poke Poke released a statement confirming that Fezzey will be suspended while they conduct an investigation. adding: “We don’t condone any type of racism or discrimination.”

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