Inset: Shai Wise (Shelby County Sheriff’s Office). Background: A McDonald’s where a domestic incident allegedly occurred in Memphis, Tenn. (Google Maps).
A Tennessee man has been arrested after trying to run over the mother of his child in a McDonald’s drive-thru lane, law enforcement in the Volunteer State says.
Shai Wise, 22, stands accused of two counts of aggravated assault, as well as one count each of domestic assault and reckless driving, according to the Memphis Police Department.
The incident occurred earlier this week at the McDonald’s on Winchester Road in the Hickory Hill neighborhood of Memphis.
On the day in question, police received a call about a domestic incident at the fast-food chain location, according to an affidavit obtained by Memphis-based Fox affiliate WHBQ. Wise had allegedly tried to run over the victim while she was holding their 1-year-old child, police said. Witnesses cited by law enforcement said the driver tried to hit the woman twice.
The woman said Wise initially tried to attack her while they were in the car in the drive-thru together, according to the charging document. She got out of the car with their toddler in tow — and that’s when he repeatedly tried to turn the vehicle into a weapon, she said.
Witnesses also described Wise as driving erratically through the McDonald’s parking lot, according to law enforcement.
After the incident, the defendant allegedly led police on a high-speed chase through the surrounding neighborhood.
During the ensuing chase, Wise was weaving through traffic and speeding, police said. Officers eventually stopped and arrested him once he turned east off nearby Ridgeway Road.
After pulling Wise over, law enforcement realized he was not alone and had driven off with an 11-year-old still in the car, according to the affidavit. Police allege he placed multiple children at risk.
One resident expressed weary frustration when speaking with the TV station about the incident.
“It’s sad, you know, and it’s crazy how people can just do that to kids,” a woman speaking from the McDonald’s parking lot said. “It’s typical out here in Memphis, it’s really nothing new, and I hate that that type of stuff happens out here.”
Wise was arrested on Wednesday and assessed a $10,000 bond, which was posted later that same day, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office records show. He was released from jail on Thursday. The defendant is slated to appear in court on Aug. 17.
