Ohio police kill man they say injured 4 with machete in restaurant attack

Police shot and killed a man who stormed into a central Ohio restaurant wielding a machete and randomly attacking people as they sat unsuspectingly at their dinner tables, authorities said.

Four people were injured in the brutal attack Thursday evening at Nazareth Restaurant and Deli, a Mediterranean restaurant in Columbus. The victims were taken to an area hospital and were expected to recover.

"There was no rhyme or reason as to who he was going after," said Columbus police Sgt. Rich Weiner.

Police said the man walked into the restaurant, had a conversation with an employee and then left. He returned about a half hour later. That's when police said he approached a man and a woman who were sitting just inside the door at a booth and started the attack.

Police said employees and patrons tried to get the man to stop.

"Some of the patrons there started throwing chairs at him just trying to get him out of there," Weiner said.

The man eventually fled the scene in a white car and led police on a short chase. Officers forced the man off the road a few miles away and when he got out of his car police said they tried unsuccessfully to use a stun gun on him.

Weiner said, "At that point he had a machete and another knife in his hand and he lunged across the hood at the officers."

That's when police said an officer shot and killed the man. They did not immediately release his name.

It remained unclear what sparked the attacks.

"Right now there's nothing that leads us to believe that this is anything but a random attack," said Weiner.

Associated Press

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HERE  YOU  ARE   ENJOYING  A  RESTAURANT  MEAL,  MINDING  YOU  OWN  BUSINESS.  IN  WALKS  SOMEONE;  UNKNOWN  TO  YOU  IS  THE  VIOLENCE  HE  PLANS  TO  DO.  HE  PULLS  OUT  A  MACHETE  AND  SLASHES  AWAY  AT  PEOPLE.

SOMETHING  LIKE  THIS,  AND  IN  THE  USA  IT  IS  NOT  UNFREQUENT,  IT  MAKES  YOU  SERIOUSLY  WONDER  ABOUT  THE  LAW  THAT  ALLOWS  YOU  TO  CARRY  A  FIREARM;  AT  LEAST  A   GOOD  FIREARM  FOR  THE  STAFF  TO  USE  IN  SUCH  SITUATIONS.

SOME  STATES  ARE  ALLOWING  OPEN  GUN  CARRYING...... SAD,  VERY  SAD  TO  SAY,  IT  MAY  INDEED  BECOME  THE  ACCEPTED  NORM.  CERTAINLY  IF  THE  STAFF  HAD  A  FIREARM  TO  USE,  HE  MAY  HAVE  BEEN  STOPPED  VERY  SHORTLY  AFTER  HE  STARTED  TO  ATTACK.

FORTUNATELY  NOBODY  WAS  KILLED...... AGAIN  HAS  YOU  WONDERING..... MAYBE  I  SHOULD  BE  CARRYING  MY  45  AS  I  GO  OUT  ON  THE  BUS,  TO  A  RESTAURANT,  TO  THE  BALL  GAME,  TO  THE  MALL......AND  ETC.

YES  MAKES  YOU  WONDER  INDEED.

Keith Hunt

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