A Nashville man is taking Waffle House to federal court, alleging he was brutally attacked with bear spray and a stun gun while simply trying to order a hash brown bowl.
Gregory Lynn Hall, 62, filed a six-figure lawsuit claiming that a routine late-night meal on May 4, 2024, turned into a nightmare after he intervened in an argument between a cook and a server.
According to the complaint, Hall questioned the cook’s harsh treatment of the female employee, only to be told, “That’s my f*cking wife, you don’t tell me how to talk to her.” Hall says he attempted to wait for his food after the tense exchange, but the situation turned physical when security arrived.
The lawsuit describes a sequence of events where a security guard allegedly retreated to a truck to put on riot gear before returning to confront Hall. The complaint alleges the guard used bear spray on Hall’s face and then deployed a taser as Hall tried to back away, causing “intense pain and discomfort.” Hall claims he was then forced to the pavement, where the guard “put his knee in [Hall’s] back, pulled his arms behind him, then tied his hands with zip ties.” Hall was subsequently transported to the emergency room at Metro General Hospital and now seeks $300,000 for physical injuries and mental trauma, including anxiety and loss of sleep.
Waffle House is fighting the allegations, filing a response this week that paints Hall as the instigator. The company’s attorneys argue that Hall “was being rude and abusive to employees” and repeatedly ignored orders to leave the restaurant. They contend that the guard utilized non-lethal force only as a last resort to remove an aggressive trespasser. Waffle House is asking the court to assign fault to Hall, asserting that “a percentage of fault should be assigned to [Hall] to reduce or bar his recovery” if a jury decides he contributed to the escalation.
The security firm, S&S Management Group, has also distanced itself from the guard’s actions, claiming he violated company policy during the incident.
The complaint argues the guard “had no reason to confront Mr. Hall with riot gear just because he was trying to order food at the window.” With a trial date set for April 13, 2027, the court will eventually decide if the response was a necessary security measure or a case of “unjustified, excessive, and malicious” force.
How was he a threat to the staff if he was ordering from a window?