In Arizona, a Black couple found themselves in a terrifying situation when a white man brandished a gun during a business meeting at the shared kitchen he owns. While they managed to escape unharmed, the wife initially hesitated to contact law enforcement out of fear that officers might harm her husband instead.
Jessie and Marcus Hill, the owners of a food truck named Culinary Delights, were renting kitchen space from the owner, Chef Doug Reynolds. After Reynolds issued a 30-day termination notice, the couple arranged a meeting to discuss the situation. However, Reynolds quickly became agitated and confrontational towards Jessie, who had come to the meeting alone.
“I couldn’t understand why he was so upset,” Jessie shared with The Root. “He was wearing a shirt that said ‘All Lives Matter,’ and he started yelling at me, accusing me of being racist and threatening to sue us over our business. I felt uncomfortable, so I suggested we move the conversation outside.”
Just as Marcus arrived to join the discussion, Reynolds escalated the confrontation and pulled out a gun. “That’s when he took a deep breath and drew his pistol,” Marcus recounted.
Reacting swiftly, Marcus lunged forward and managed to disarm Reynolds. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, we are going to get shot,’” Jessie recalled. “I acted on instinct.”
As they awaited police arrival, Marcus kept his hand on the firearm while Jessie frantically communicated with the 911 operator. “I kept repeating, ‘My husband is not the suspect. He’s African-American and he’s fighting the guy with a gun. Please don’t shoot him,’” she said.
Despite the life-threatening situation, Jessie hesitated to call the police, fearing that they might misinterpret the scenario and shoot Marcus, a Black man, for restraining a white man. “I was terrified,” she admitted. “What do you do in a situation like that?”
When law enforcement finally arrived, they ordered both Marcus and Reynolds to put their hands on their heads, subsequently pulling Marcus away and tasering Reynolds. “The prosecutor indicated that Reynolds likely wouldn’t face jail time,” Jessie stated. “They are only considering a single charge of assault, which is absurd considering what we experienced.”
Marcus echoed her concerns, stating, “The attorney kept insisting that we didn’t know what Reynolds intended, but I witnessed him trying to pull the trigger. If it hadn’t gotten caught in his shirt, we might not be here today.”
In the aftermath, Reynolds claimed he felt threatened by Marcus’s size, which he used as justification for his actions. The police report noted that he admitted to reaching for his firearm out of fear.
The couple has since started a GoFundMe campaign to fund a “safe and friendly” kitchen space, emphasizing that they are victims of a hate crime and seeking community support. “We are striving for our American Dream and want to create a positive environment,” they wrote. Their campaign has already raised over $161,000 towards their $250,000 goal.
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