Suspect Henry Darden has been arrested after allegedly shooting a co-worker– identified as RHOA star Kandi Burruss’ cousin, Chef Melvin Jones, at her Atlanta restaurant, Blaze Steak & Seafood.
According to 11 Alive, Darden was arrested without incident and is currently being held in the Fulton County Jail. His bond reportedly has not been set yet.
South Fulton Police Lt. Rogers said Darden allegedly shot Jones in the arm after they got into a fight on Sept. 8. The alleged shooting reportedly took place at Blaze Steak & Seafood, located on the 3700 block of Cascade Road. When paramedics arrived at the scene, they took Jones to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Since the incident, warrants for aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon have been filed for Darden. The South Fulton Police Department has been offering a reward of up to $2,000 for anyone with information about the shooting.
Blaze Steak & Seafood is reportedly owned by both Burruss and her husband, Todd Tucker. Tucker announced the opening of the restaurant via Instagram back in 2020.
“I live in Southwest Atlanta and always asked why we don’t have certain restaurants in our area (Black Area). But I’m not asking anymore! I will build what we want and what we need in our communities! They better not let me figure out how to build my own grocery store! #blackowned #buytheblock #liveinourcommunity,” he wrote.
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The restaurant was initially opened in November of that year, but due to allegedly failing an inspection, it closed for a few days in 2021. Blaze reportedly lost nine points after the inspector observed a food handler switching raw seafood to ready-to-eat foods without washing hands. It also lost another nine points due to prep coolers being 41 degrees and racked up some four-point penalties, including having a Chick-fil-A cup in an area with regular food supplies.
Neither Buruss nor Tucker responded to the reports at the time, but Blaze has seemingly been doing well since it reopened.
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