A 29-year-old man working at a chicken restaurant in Capitol Hill is recovering after he was punched in the face on Tuesday night. Seattle police are searching for three suspects linked to the assault who were asked to leave the restaurant for harassing customers and using slurs.
Officers were called to the chicken restaurant in the 1200 block of East Pike Street on April 22 at about 10:54 p.m. after the 29-year-old employee was punched.
According to witnesses, three men, with at least one described as in his 20s, were in the restaurant eating chicken while also harassing customers.
One of the witnesses was antagonized by the group of men who sat nearby, growled, barked, and called them names while the witness tried to eat. The witness told Seattle police they felt this was due to their sexual orientation. A manager reportedly told the men to stop, or they’d have to leave.
The behavior continued, according to the 29-year-old employee, who was working at the counter and saw the suspects getting into verbal disagreements with customers. The employee reported to police the suspects approached the counter and said they were missing a chicken tender, leading to an argument with the employee about whether it’d already been eaten. One suspect then called the employee a gay slur.
During the investigation, police learned a manager said the three men needed to leave and the 29-year-old employee started guiding them to the restaurant’s exit. One of the suspects reportedly said “Don’t touch my boy like that,” and a fight began, leading to the employee getting punched in the face by another suspect. The 29-year-old employee ended up with a cut above his left eye, which was also swollen shut.
The suspects were last seen walking west on East Pike Street from 12th Avenue. Officers swarmed the area but were unable to locate them.
Several witnesses talked with Seattle police officers about what happened. SPD continues to seek more details, video or photos related to this assault investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.
Incident Number: 2025-107938