Mayor Young speaks out after restaurant incident
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mayor Paul Young on Friday had more to say about an incident at an East Memphis steakhouse earlier this week.
Police say James Banks, 36, was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct and public intoxication on Monday.
Banks allegedly grabbed the Mayor and tried to force his way into the mayor’s vehicle outside of Folk’s Folly.
“I think it was just somebody who had one too many drinks,” Mayor Young told WREG. “I’ve learned from it that I need to follow our security protocols. I should’ve had my team in there. I think it’s just the transition of going from being a regular dude to being the mayor.”
Mayor Young grabbed while leaving East Memphis Restaurant
According to investigators, Banks was heavily intoxicated and caused a scene by refusing to leave despite repeated requests.
The City of Memphis said a member of the Mayor’s security detail deployed a small amount of pepper spray to keep Banks away from the mayor.
Despite the incident, Mayor Young said he does not fear for his safety.
“I wouldn’t say I’m more concerned about it,” Mayor Young said. “Safety is certainly important for every Memphian and I feel like all Memphians. I want my family to be safe and I want everyone to have that same opportunity.”
Folk’s Folly gave WREG the following statement regarding the incident:
“At Folk’s Folly, our top priorities are delivering quality fine dining experiences and of course, the safety and comfort of our patrons. The recent incident was isolated and does not represent a typical guest experience. We are, however, evaluating our operating systems to ensure incidents like this do not occur again. We support Mayor Young and look forward to serving him again soon.”
James Banks is out of jail on a $1,500 bond and is due back in court at the end of April.
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