Army reservist beaten in front of child

By Kristi Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A man beat an Army reservist in front of a Morrow Cracker Barrel, yelling racial slurs at her as he kicked her in the head, Morrow police said. The assault happened in front of the woman’s 7-year old daughter, who stood there, crying, witnesses told police.

Morrow police arrested Troy Dale West of Poulan after reviewing a video surveillance tape and talking to customers. He was charged with battery, disorderly conduct and cruelty to children.

The woman and her daughter were leaving the South Lake Plaza Drive restaurant last Wednesday about 7:30 p.m. as West was heading inside, Capt. James Callaway of the Morrow Police Department said.

The restaurant doorway nearly struck the woman’s daughter, prompting her to tell West, “Sir, you almost hit my daughter with the door, could you please be careful,” Callaway said.

West responded, telling the woman that she needed to watch her daughter and then began yelling racial slurs at her and kicking and punching her in the head, Callaway said.

Witnesses told police the woman kept telling West that she was an Army officer.

“She kept saying, 'Sir, I’m a United States soldier, don’t do this,’ ” Callaway said.

Police interviewed customers and other witnesses and arrested West at the restaurant, Callaway said.

He was charged with cruelty to children, a felony, because he beat the woman in front of her daughter, Callaway said.

“I was in the ambulance with her daughter, and she was extremely upset, crying and asking why he would do this to her mom,” Callaway said.

Police have turned the case over to the FBI’s Civil Rights Division, saying it may be a violation of the Federal Hate Crime Law, Callaway said.

“We are not making the decision that it’s a hate crime, we’re referring it and letting them make a decision on it,” Callaway said.

Officials at the Cracker Barrel in Morrow as well as its corporate offices in Lebanon, Tenn., referred all calls to the police and the FBI.

Calls to the FBI, which also has the video surveillance tape, were not immediately returned.

"We're glad that the Cracker Barrel called the authorities," company spokeswoman Julie Davis said.

West of Poulan was arrested after police reviewed a video surveillance tape and talked to customers.