Someone Took Too Much Crab at a Buffet and Started an Out-of-Control Brawl

At what point does a person's eagerness to get the most out of a buffet shift from frugal zealousness to straight-up criminal behavior? Is there a proverbial line to be drawn in the lobster chow mein that diners should simply never cross, lest they be subjected to the wrath of the rest of the buffet-goers—who often feel they have a right to get everything they paid for when visiting said buffet?

The harrowing answer to that question is one that a 21-year-old man and his mother now know all too well. They found themselves squarely in the center of a buffet brawl stemming from the man's egregious behavior: He allegedly took a more-than-generous helping of crab claws. An all-out bout of fisticuffs broke out yesterday at the Royal Buffet & Grill in Manchester, Connecticut, and the unnamed 21-year-old patron was assaulted. All because someone thought he took too many crab claws at the $14.49 seafood buffet.

Luckily, the young man's mother was there to restore righteous order in the buffet line: she grasped her trusty canister of pepper spray and used the stuff on a gentleman named Clifford Knight (46 years old) and a woman named Lataya Knight (38 years old). The Knights were the ones who were really ticked off at the number of crab claws that the 21-year-old had piled on his plate, so they took matters into their own hands. The young crab lover apparently suffered a cut lip and broken front tooth, according to the local Fox News affiliate.

The moral of the story, however, is that it may be better to not attempt to defend the integrity of the buffet. Clifford Knight now faces third-degree assault and disorderly conduct charges. Lataya Knight has been charged with disorderly conduct and threatening a person. Both were released on bail.

The buffet brawl proved so toxic that the Royal Buffet & Grill was temporarily closed after the incident took place on Sunday. The Manchester Fire Department came in and vented the joint after the Health Department closed it down due to the pepper spraying. Investigators have deemed that the use of the spray was merely an act of self-defense.

Damn. Those must have been some pretty good crab legs.