Dacorian Greer, 23, Danny Mitchell, 26, and Lynn Gillespie, 27, were charged with assault and damage of property over $500 by the Memphis Police Department. The incident occurred on Sunday, Nov. 25, after the three started a fight with Martez Brisco at the Memphis McDonalds on South Mendenhall. The three were captured and charged a day later.
"Men trying to look like women, drag queens, transvestites is what they were," Brisco told Memphis TV station WMC-TV.
Brisco said an argument started at the drive-up window and he decided to ignore the three.
"They come to the window, tap, tap, tap. I'm still ignoring them. I guess that just pissed them off worser," Brisco said.
The three men, dressed as women, jumped out of the car, ran into the restaurant armed with a tire iron, and started swinging at employees, but not before they disrobed, kicking off their stiletto boots, hoop earrings, and jackets.
"They just decided they wanted to start a fight with the crew at McDonald's here. They began to get ready to fight taking clothing off to fight," said Lt. Trevor Tisby with Memphis Police Department.
Surveillance video from the store has been turned over to the Shelby County District Attorney’s office.
"He swung and hit my manager, manager swung and hit back, so they step back, get to takin' off they shoes, boots and whatever else they had to do to get satisfied to fight," Brisco said.
Albert Bolton had band aids covering scratches where one of the drag queens mauled him with his fingernails.
"I was fightin with 'em, trying to protect him, and he scratched me," Bolton said.
As the fight carried on, the manager grabbed a pot of hot French fry grease and launched it at the men. One of the men retaliated, smacking the manager in the head with a wet floor sign sending him away in an ambulance.
Before they drove off, the cross dressers smashed in the drive-thru window.
The incident also prompted a lesson from equality leaders to remind local media about proper reporting on potential GLBT issues.
“The incident is troubling,” said Christopher Sanders, president of the Tennessee Equality Project. “The reporting of it is even more troubling. Much of the reporting that we’ve monitored has been laced with stereotypes. The stories have been of concern to TEP.”
Sanders said it would have been more appropriate to describe the three individuals as “cross dressers” instead of the description “transvestite.”