A Town of Tonawanda restaurant owner who recently raised accusations of racism toward town police, was arrested Wednesday night for allegedly assaulting an employee. Haibo Jiang, also known as Jimmy Ying, is the owner of Ying's at 2309 Eggert Road near Sheridan Drive. Town police have charged Jiang with felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault stemming from a confrontation with one of his workers.
When officers arrived at 10:15 p.m., the victim, a 26-year-old male, was found bleeding from a head wound. He was treated and released from an area hospital after his injury was stapled. He also suffered a concussion.
"The victim...alleged that Jimmy Ying had choked him from behind to the point of unconsciousness and then had either thrown, or he had then fell, to the ground, causing a big laceration to the back of his head," said Tonawanda Police Captain Joseph Carosi.
The incident occurred at the restaurant's front counter. Though there were several employees in the building at the time, no one else apparently witnessed the attack. The restaurant does have a surveillance camera system. Carosi says Jiang told officers we was "wrestling" with the employee.
Jiang was arrested without incident. He was arraigned late Wednesday afternoon, pleading not guilty. He'll be back in court next week.
Last month, Jiang accused town police of using racial slurs against teenage African-American patrons following a prior shooting outside the restaurant. He said, at the time, the police force was trying to shut down his business.
In response, the department vehemently denied the accusations. A police chief called the claims "ridiculous" and said he did not want to see the restaurant go out of business.
