HIGH POINT, N.C. — A workplace conflict allegedly ended in assault and the arrest of a High Point, North Carolina, pastor, according to police records.
57-year-old Pastor Dwayne Waden said it all started when his wife got a job at the McDonald's on South Main Street in High Point back in May.
Latoya Waden complained to her husband on Thursday that employees were disrespecting her, according to a police report, and he came to his wife's workplace.
"She went to the back to get her keys. When she went to the back to get her keys, a gentleman came from behind, which was a manager, mouthing off at me and disrespecting my wife," Dwayne said. "I approached him and said, 'What you’re not going to do is disrespect my wife in front of me.'”
A police report states Dwayne then allegedly pushed the worker's head toward the deep fryer and punched him in the face. It also states several employees had to pull Waden off the victim, who "suffered a large contusion to the forehead and right eye, along with scratches on his neck."
“When I did that he got in my face when he got in my face I pushed him, and when I pushed him he grabbed me so when he grabbed me, we went to tussling and stuff of that nature and the floor was real slippery, so I kind of bear hug him, and when I bear hug him, he punched me in the back of my head. When he punched me in the back of my head, I commenced to swinging," Dwayne said.
Officers were able to see footage from a surveillance video of the altercation. Dwayne, whose Facebook profile identifies him as pastor of Elevated Life International Ministries and a semi-truck driver, was arrested on a charge of assault and released on a $1,000 bond.
"My intent was to get my wife, and leave, and get out of that environment," Dwayne said.
Dwayne said he regrets how far things went.
"This is a learning experience going forward. Don’t let people pull you into their chaos moving forward - just walk away," he said.
The McDonald's local franchise released a statement saying: "The safety and security of our employees and customers is our top priority, and I was appalled by this act of violence in my restaurant last week. Law enforcement was called immediately when this incident occurred, and we will continue to cooperate with the authorities on this matter."
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