ChiefsPlanet - ChiefsPlanet Marine amputee taunted out of a bar and grill by Carolina Panther fans

http://patdollard.com/2012/10/stop-u...-panther-fans/

Marine Garrett Carnes, of Mooresville, North Carolina attended Sunday’s Carolina Panthers’ game against the Cowboys with his wife Courtney, their parents, and friends Brett and Nicole Coburn. After the game, in which Dallas beat the Panthers, the Marine and his family stopped by Moosehead Grill on Montford Drive. This is where the incident took place.

According to the Charlotte Observer this is what happened:

During a verbal altercation that some witnesses said almost came to blows, one patron allegedly told Carnes he was using his wheelchair “as an excuse.”

In an interview with The Observer, however, the fan said Carnes and members of his party were equally abusive. And he denied making a remark about the Marine’s wheelchair.

The incident happened after Carnes, his wife Courtney, their parents, and friends Brett and Nicole Coburn stopped at the restaurant for dinner after attending the Carolina Panthers’ game against Dallas. Several members of the party, including Garrett Carnes, were wearing Dallas Cowboys jerseys.

“Courtney was the first one out of the vehicle, and while she was getting Garrett’s wheelchair, one guy immediately started yelling at her,” said Brett Coburn, who described the man’s comments as “taunts.”

Coburn said that when the group reached the front door, the fan was waiting for them.

“He was standing at the door, and he started harassing us because of the Cowboys jerseys,” Coburn said.

He said the fan told Garrett Carnes, “Don’t use your wheelchair as a crutch.”

The fan, who did not want to give his name, gave a different account.

“Moosehead is a Panthers’ bar,” he said. “When they came, wearing the Cowboys’ jerseys, I started up on them. I asked them if they were Cowboys fans who lived in North Carolina.”

“I’m not going to fight someone in a wheelchair,” the fan said. “I said to him, ‘I’m not fighting you. Get four of your boys, and I’ll fight them.’ “

According to multiple accounts of the incident, Carnes told the patron – and others who were ridiculing the group for being Cowboys’ fans – that he was a veteran and had lost his legs in Afghanistan.

Members of the Carnes-Coburn party tried to “defend ourselves verbally,” Brett Coburn said.

“We were going back and forth,” the fan said. “Yes, it got out of control.”

The fan said one woman in the Carnes-Coburn party swore at him.

He said the fan walked toward Carnes in a threatening way, and some other patrons stepped in to break it up.

Neilsen said his employees are trained to separate possible combatants, in an effort to defuse such situations. On Sunday, staff members asked Garrett Carnes and his party to leave, while they took the fan to another area of the restaurant.

“It spiraled out of control,” Coburn says.

Courtney Carnes called police, but no charges were filed.

Carnes mother has recently addressed a post to the patrons at the restaurant on facebook: “Why didn’t any of you stand up for my son and daughter? And to think my son almost died for every single person in that bar, by defending all your freedom.”

The owner of the restaurant, Chris Neilsen, arrived soon after the altercation took place. Neilsen said he arrived at the restaurant after the group had left and was in the parking lot, talking to police.“I didn’t want them to leave,” he said of the Carnes-Coburn party, “but I understand why they left. I’m miserable. My heart hurts for them.”

He said the trouble was caused by people who “are not regulars” at the restaurant and added that the fan was not welcome to return.

Hays he is “heartbroken” over the incident in which bantering between football fans got out of control, resulting in a U.S. Marine who lost both legs in Afghanistan being forced to leave the eatery with his wife, parents and friends.

He has been in contact with family members of Marine Garrett Carnes, of Mooresville, following the incident that Neilsen says “was awful.”

“I want to somehow make it right by them,” Neilsen says.

According to several emails we received, the fan who started the confrontation with the Marine, is known by them as “Tank”. But they say he is a regular and “Tank” is his nickname while his real name is Josh Watts.

Here is a story done on the Marine when he was welcomed home: Mooresville Crowd Welcomes Home Wounded Marine

A lot of Marines have also been hammering away at them on Yelp, but it seems the Fan is at fault here for taunting the Marine. The owner was not aware until after the incident happened. Moosehead Grill

The fan told the Observer, “He (Carnes) is a veteran, and I appreciate what he did for this country. But I don’t appreciate how abusive they were.”

In my opinion it was the Fan that caused this, not the restaurant. Although they could have removed the other party instead of the wounded Marine. But here are some pics of the fan that was taunting the Marine, sent to us by a fan who is familiar with the establishment and its patrons.

The Mule↓
http://guardianofvalor.com/wp-conten...2/10/josh3.png

The Marine↓
http://patdollard.com/wp-content/upl...18_306x505.jpg