Big Ed's shooting suspects appear in court, restaurant to reopen Wednesday
REPORTING LIVE IN THE VILLAGE
DISTRICT. JULIAN GRACE, WRAL
MUST HAVE BEEN PRETTY SCARY.
THANK YOU, JULIAN.
>> WE NOW KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT
THE LEAD UP TO THIS. A BRAWL
THAT ENDED WITH SHOTS BEING
FIRED IN A POPULAR RALEIGH
RESTAURANT ON MOTHER'S DAY.
THE 2 SUSPECTS FACING CHARGES
IN CONNECTION TO THE FIGHT.
A BIG ED'S BOTH HAD THEIR FIRST
COURT APPEARANCES TODAY.
WRAL'S CHELSEA DONOVAN WAS IN
THE COURTROOM. CHELSEA, WHAT
DID YOU FIND OUT?
>> YES, SO MANY NEW DETAILS
TODAY IN COURT, INCLUDING THE
FACT THAT THE STATE BELIEVES
THAT THIS BRAWL THAT YOU SAW
THERE SPAWNED FROM DISPUTE OVER
A PAST RELATIONSHIP AND A
STEPFATHER AND STEPSON ARE
ACCUSED OF PUNCHING 3 WOMEN IN
THE FACE FIRING SHOTS. ONE THAT
IS ALLEGED TO HAVE HIT A BIG
ED'S EMPLOYEE. BUT THEIR
DEFENSE ATTORNEYS SAY THEY
SIMPLY ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE.
>> IT WAS A MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH
GONE TERRIBLY WRONG INSIDE.
BIG ED'S ON FALLS OF THE NEWS
OF THE OTHER IS RESTAURANT.
HERE IN COURT TODAY. WE FOUND
OUT 51 YEAR-OLD JERMAINE
MITCHELL IS THE STEPFATHER OF
23 YEAR-OLD
ALEXANDER BARNES. THE STATE
SAYS THEY EXCHANGE WORDS WITH
MITCHELL'S EX-WIFE AND HER
FAMILY WHO ARE ALSO DINING AT
BIG ED'S FAMILY. IS SHE THERE?
THEY HAD A
>> WORDS WERE EXCHANGED THE
LEAD TO A BUY INTO.
SAYS, OH, YEAH, FIREARM.
>> THE STATE SAYS BARNES FIRED
3 SHOTS, 3 SHOTS FIRED
THE STATE ALSO SAYS BARNES
PUNCH 3 WOMEN WHILE ON THE
GROUND AFTER FIRING THOSE SHOTS
THE BENEFIT. BUT VIDEOS DON'T
LIE.
>> THAT IS TRUE. BUT HE WAS IN
SNIPPETS OF THE VIDEO, NOT SEEN
THE FULL EPISODE IN THE VIDEO.
DEFENSE ATTORNEY AL WILLIAMS
BELIEVES MITCHELL AND BARNES
ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE.
>> NOW IN COURT TODAY, THE
PROSECUTOR SAID WITNESSES
OVERHEARD BARNES IN THE PARKING
LOT AFTER THE SHOOTING SAYING,
QUOTE, ALL DO IT ALL OVER
AGAIN. HE REMAINS IN JAIL UNDER
NO BOND. MITCHELL WAS GIVEN
A $25,000 SECURED BOND. AND THE
GOOD NEWS IS THAT BIG EDGE WILL
REOPEN IN THAT NORTH RALEIGH