A man who recently moved to the area from Georgia drove his vehicle into the front doors of a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, police charge.
Dickson City Patrolman Michael Fredericks responded to the Viewmont Mall parking lot, near the restaurant, Friday at about 12:30 p.m. for the report of a fight, according to a criminal complaint.
Fredericks noticed the restaurant’s front doors were heavily damaged and observed engine coolant trails from a vehicle on the sidewalk and asphalt, police said.
While on scene, officers were told to be on the lookout for a black Dodge Charger, according to the criminal complaint. Police later identified the driver as Bevon Kennedy.
The restaurant manager told police he heard a loud bang and then noticed that a car had driven through the front doors, police said.
Fredericks spotted a Dodge Charger at the stoplight near the mall exit, pulled behind it and activated the emergency lights on his vehicle, officers said. Due to a report of knives and violence, Fredericks immediately removed Kennedy from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs, police said.
A Buffalo Wild Wings employee took a photo of the back of the vehicle — identified as a black Dodge Charger with a Georgia license plate starting with the letters DEL, police said. Officers could also see from the photo that the right rear tire of the car was flat, according to the criminal complaint.
The vehicle stopped by Fredericks had a Georgia registration matching the photo, front-end damage and a flat tire on the right rear side, officers said.
One witness told officers he saw two men, who were arguing, walk out of the food court, police said. The witness said one man was on the sidewalk when the Charger “came flying toward the building,” went up onto the sidewalk and into the front doors of the restaurant before the driver backed up and sped off, according to the criminal complaint.
Another witness told officers the driver of the Charger pulled out a “machete,” and the other man pulled out a pocketknife and jumped onto the car, police said.
The other man fled the scene and was not located by police, officers said.
Kennedy was treated at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Dickson City for injuries suffered in the crash and released, according to the criminal complaint.
During the investigation, officers also learned Kennedy was charged in Georgia on Oct. 8 for felony possession of a controlled substance, police said.
Police charged Kennedy, 23, with recklessly endangering another person, accidents involving damage to attended vehicle or property and reckless driving.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 11:15 a.m.