What started as a dust-up over chicken wings outside a Jonesboro Zaxbys has ended with a veteran pediatric nurse headed to prison. A Clayton County jury found Chelyria M. Palmer guilty of plowing her car into teenage restaurant employees during a 2021 confrontation, and on Monday a judge handed down a 20-year sentence, with three years to be served in custody. Two teens were hurt, including one who suffered a severe leg injury.
According to prosecutors, the argument began over wings and spilled from the order window into the parking lot, with several young employees stepping outside while Palmer stayed in her vehicle. Surveillance video shown to jurors captured Palmer steering up over the curb and into the group, undercutting her claim that the juveniles tried to assault her. The case stems from an April 22, 2021 hit-and-run at the Zaxbys on Tara Boulevard in Jonesboro, as first detailed by WSB-TV.
Conviction And Sentence
After a weeklong trial in late June, jurors convicted Palmer of one count of aggravated assault and one count of battery, the Clayton County District Attorney's office said. Prosecutors relied heavily on the surveillance footage and medical testimony that one juvenile needed immediate treatment after being struck.
The Central Georgian reported that Superior Court Judge Jewel Scott presided over the case and originally set the July 6 sentencing date. On Monday, Scott imposed a 20-year sentence, with three years to be served behind bars and the balance on conditions set by the court, according to WSB Radio. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys James Williams and Jake Beninato.
How The Case Unfolded
Police were called to the Zaxbys in the 6000 block of Tara Boulevard on April 22, 2021, for what was first reported as a hit-and-run involving multiple teenage workers. Officers and early news reports described security video that appeared to show Palmer's vehicle jumping a curb and striking the juveniles. One teen was hospitalized with serious injuries.
That early footage and arrest coverage circulated nationally through outlets including KTVZ via CNN Newsource, long before a jury ever heard about it in a Clayton County courtroom. Prosecutors later argued that the video left little doubt about what happened when a fast-food dispute turned into a felony case.
Victims And Reaction
Clayton County District Attorney Tasha Mosley did not mince words for jurors, summing up the state's case with a line that stuck: “You running people over, over some chicken wings.” Mosley said one worker suffered a broken leg and another a broken toe in the crash.
Victim advocates worked alongside prosecutors throughout the proceedings, helping guide the teenagers and their families through the long court process, WSB Radio reported. For the young employees, what could have been just another shift at a fried-chicken chain instead became a years-long legal ordeal.
What's Next
Court records will spell out how Palmer's remaining years on the 20-year term are structured, including whether they are suspended or served under supervision. Those filings are available through the Stone Mountain judicial circuit clerk.
The District Attorney's office has said it hopes the conviction sends a clear message about protecting low-wage workers and the very real consequences of turning a parking-lot argument into violence. For public filings and additional details on the case, see the coverage from WSB-TV.
