Police: Man stabs co-worker at DeKalb Co. restaurant

One man is in the hospital and another is behind bars today. A DeKalb County restaurant employee stabbed another about 15 minutes before the dinner rush and Pallookaville Fine Foods employees are still in shock.

On Tuesday around 5:15, Avondale Estates Police report employees witnessed a knife attack in the kitchen.

“I called out, everyone chill out, I’m gonna grab the knife… and so I grabbed the knife and set it aside in to the sink,” said Nina Wagner, a Pallookaville Employee.

Wagner says it started off like a normal work day. Co-workers say the suspect, Ian Clayton, is a nice guy they never felt threatened by. The employees tell us Clayton and the victim, James Thomas got along well.

Wagner said, ” there was no aggressiveness, no tension.”

The Avondale Estates Police report shows, other restaurant employees pulled Clayton off of Thomas. When the employees stood still, Wagner took the knife. A nurse eating in the restaurant before her shift jumped in to help Thomas and put pressure on his more than 15 stab marks.

“Higher Power out there like watched out for all of us. to make sure this went in a good direction,” said Wagner.

Pallookaville employees say the entire staff is close as family. Everyone at the restaurant we spoke to kept telling us what a great man Thomas, a father of 2, is. He always had an uplifting quote and a kind thing to say to brighten your day and make you feel better about yourself.

“All of us are wishing him good health and to heal fast,” said Wagner.

Many of the employees we spoke to say they have already gone to visit James in the hospital. The owners set up a go fund me account for James and his family.

LINK to GoFundMe page: www.gofundme.com/help-for-james-thomas-family

visit main article