Woman hit with baseball bat outside &pizza on U Street breaks silence
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Taelor London only wanted to speak with FOX 5 after the manager of a U Street &pizza allegedly hit her in the head with a wooden baseball bat for wanting to order some pizza.
London just moved to the area and is in a state of shock. She is a 26-year-old single mom who says she is traumatized, and probably won't go to another &pizza ever again.
Taelor London
"I don't condone how it's ran or the timing it took to be reached out to or anything," London said. "[It] was a very traumatic experience. I definitely do not see myself visiting any &pizza's anytime soon in my life."
London recorded the moment an &pizza manager told her to get out because the store was closed. However, the restaurant was technically supposed to still be open since it was 10:50 p.m. and the business closes at 11 p.m.
According to court documents, the manager threatened to punch London if she didn't leave, Then, she snatched the phone out of her hand and threw it behind the counter.
When London went to grab it, the &pizza manager allegedly hit her in the head three times with a wooden baseball bat.
"Makes me feel like we live in a crazy world because for someone to lash out in a rage like that, for someone who didn't do anything to them, I barely said five words there. It just really blows my mind," said London.
London was sitting in front of the store, located at 1250 U Street NW, when police arrived around 11 p.m. Police said she was bleeding from the back of her head.
London was rushed to the hospital and doctors believe she may have a concussion.
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London's attorney, Duane King, said he got in touch with the &pizza, which said the investigation is ongoing.
King said filing a lawsuit is still "a possibility."
"No one likes to or wants to have to sue anyone, but if we can get her to justice that she deserves without filing a lawsuit, obviously that would be the next step," he explained.
D.C. police arrested 32-year-old Laquesha Whitley in connection to the incident. She is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. The suspect was stopped by D.C. police officers in the rear alley of &pizza who said she was leaving the restaurant for the night.
London told FOX 5 she didn't have much to say to her accused attacker.
"She's very beneath me, and I feel like I shouldn't even address her," London said. She just wants the suspect to be held accountable and for human beings to do better and be better.
&pizza co-founder and CEO Michael Lastoria released the following statement via Twitter:
I’m deeply sorry to Taelor and to the community. We have to do better. Something like this should never happen in one of our pizza shops. There are no excuses, we are investigating and doing everything we can to make this right. Even when we know it’s not possible.