Police have arrested a man who caused chaos inside an East Elmhurst restaurant Saturday after he brandished a knife during a heated argument. (Photo: Google Maps)
Feb. 8, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
Police have arrested a knife-wielding man who caused chaos inside a popular East Elmhurst restaurant Saturday after getting into a heated argument.
Kohrelle Brisco, 47, was arrested for harassment and menacing after he grabbed a knife from the kitchen of the Jackson Hole Diner, located at 69-35 Astoria Blvd North, and wielded it in front of customers, police said.
He then chased patrons into the parking lot and threatened to shoot them, according to the owner of the diner.
The incident unfolded at around 9:20 p.m. when Brisco—who lives on 8th Street in Astoria— got into a dispute with a man in the dining area of the restaurant, police said.
Surveillance footage released by ABC7 shows a tense standoff where Brisco swings his right arm at the man before another patron steps in and pushes him backwards.
A third individual can then be seen grabbing Brisco from behind, putting him in a chokehold and pulling him to the floor.
Moments later Brisco can be seen marching into the kitchen and then returning with a knife.
He brandished the blade in front of customers who said they feared for their safety, police said.
Peter Meskouris, who owns the diner, said Brisco threatened his customers.
“[Brisco] was screaming and yelling that he was a correction officer and that he wanted to kill somebody,” Meskouris told ABC7.
Brisco, Meskouris said, chased some customers out of the restaurant with the knife and then followed them around the diner’s parking lot.
He also threatened to get a gun from his car and shoot people, Meskouris said.
Police arrested Brisco at the scene. There were no injuries reported, police said.
It is unclear what sparked the initial argument between Brisco and the man.
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