Chicken wasn’t the only thing getting served in a Charlotte Popeye’s – the manager added some hot bullets to the two-fist combo. What started as a kitchen squabble turned into a full-blown shootout, and the restaurant manager is now facing some serious charges.
Rodney Wood, 22, was arrested and charged with both attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. According to reports, the brawl began when Wood and a fellow manager got into a heated argument over the overcooked biscuits.
A customer who witnessed the altercation said things escalated quickly after both employees went outside after one “challenged” the other, leading to an outside rumble.
In the heat of the altercation, Wood allegedly pulled out a gun and fired two shots at close range. According to WBTV, court documents reveal a video was captured at the scene showing “Wood discharging his firearm twice at point-blank range.”
The two bullets struck the victim, one in the groin and the other in the chest. He was rushed to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, where he received emergency surgery. Wood allegedly fled the scene, but authorities found him shortly after the shooting in the same shopping center as the restaurant.
When questioned, Wood claimed that his co-worker punched him in the face three times once they stepped outside and claimed he fired “two warning shots” with no intent for it to be fatal.
However, the affidavit stated Wood “failed to articulate a credible imminent threat of deadly force necessary to support a self-dense claim under state law,” per the affidavit obtained by WBTV.
Wood is currently being held on a $50,000 bond. Popeyes has yet to release an official statement.