A fight broke out inside Boots & Sonny's Drive-In in Spartanburg on Monday afternoon after one man stomped on another man's foot, escalating into a bloody brawl that an employee stepped in to stop. The confrontation, caught on camera, ended with the victim throwing the other man over the counter and police charging a suspect with two counts of assault and battery.
According to a police report cited by FOX Carolina News, the trouble started when one man bumped into another inside the restaurant. The man who was bumped told police he was walking out when the other man stomped on his foot, and he asked why. That question set off an exchange of punches between the two men, the same police report indicates.
The altercation quickly spread past the two men involved. Per the police report, the other man then began hitting a worker behind the counter, prompting restaurant employees to hit the man in an effort to stop the fighting. The victim reportedly threw the other man over the counter during the scuffle, the report states.
Employee of Two Months Steps Between the Two Men
Hakeem LaPierre, who has worked at Boots & Sonny's for two months, said he moved to separate a young man attacking an older man during the fight. LaPierre described the aftermath in stark terms, saying the older man had his face opened and his shirt ripped. Restaurant staff said LaPierre defused the situation and kept everyone safe, according to the same police account relayed by FOX Carolina.
Restaurant staff also told police the man accused of starting the fight often causes problems at the location, and they said they wanted police to take action. Officers said the man's description matched that of a vandalism suspect who had thrown a large chunk of concrete at the front window of a black Dodge on South Church Street, according to the police report.
Suspect Faces Two Assault Charges, Prior Arrest on Record
Gregory Tyricus Jacobs was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center and charged with two counts of assault and battery, third degree, according to arrest warrants. Jail officials said he was issued a $1,344.44 surety bond. Under South Carolina Code § 16-3-600, third-degree assault and battery is a misdemeanor, with each count carrying a maximum penalty of up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine, according to Justia Law. Criminal proceedings have since been docketed in Spartanburg County Municipal Court under the case State of South Carolina vs. Gregory Tyricus Jacobs, according to court records reviewed by Docket Alarm.
Public arrest records show Jacobs was previously arrested in Spartanburg County in December on a misdemeanor charge of trespass after warning, according to Spartanburg Crime & Mugshots. The public record does not specify that the prior charge involved Boots & Sonny's.
A Spartanburg Institution Since 1962
Boots & Sonny's Drive-In has been a family-owned Spartanburg fixture since 1962, when it opened on South Church Street before moving to its current East Henry Street location in 1976. The restaurant, known for selling nearly 2,000 hot dogs a day and for its signature chili, is among Spartanburg's hot-dog restaurants, according to background compiled by Kidding Around Greenville.
Co-owner Paul J. “Sonny” Clayton Jr., who ran the restaurant for decades alongside his family after it was founded by his parents, Paul Sr. and Edith Clayton, died in September 2023 at age 79. The JF Floyd Mortuary published an obituary about his death.
Workplace Safety Resources Address Restaurant Violence
While Boots & Sonny's staff praised LaPierre for stepping in, workplace-safety resources address workplace violence. The incident shows how a minor personal disagreement can escalate rapidly. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, employers can address workplace violence by assessing hazards in their settings and developing workplace-violence prevention plans.
The incident also lands within broader public safety trends tracked by the city. According to the Spartanburg Police Department's 2025 Crime Statistics Report, presented by Police Chief Alonzo Thompson, violent crime incidents in Spartanburg remained relatively stable last year, running 2% below the city's 10-year average, with aggravated assaults making up 76% of all violent crimes. The report also noted that property crime, which includes the vandalism allegation tied to the thrown chunk of concrete on South Church Street, accounted for 83% of the city's index crimes even as overall property incidents ran 25% below the 10-year average.
