Manager vs. Manager: Popeyes shooting over burnt biscuits leads to attempted murder indictment
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — What started as an argument about overcooked biscuits has boiled over into an attempted murder case in south Charlotte.
This week, a grand jury handed down an indictment against 22-year-old Rondey Romel Wood, a former manager at the Popeyes on South Boulevard, for the May 11 shooting of his fellow manager, 32-year-old Deshawn Kentrell Smith.
The indictment, issued on Monday, May 19, charges Wood with attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury (AWDWIKISI).
He remains in custody on a $500,000 secured bond. The case is due back in court this October.
According to court documents, the incident happened just before 6 p.m. in the restaurant parking lot. Witnesses said an argument between the two managers, centered around a batch of overcooked biscuits, erupted into a physical fight.
Records state one witness told CMPD officers that Wood and Smith took the argument outside after one allegedly challenged the other to 'meet me out there.'
Cell phone video provided to CMPD by an anonymous witness shows Smith punching Wood in the face. Moments later, Wood is seen pulling a firearm and shooting Smith twice at close range, once in the groin and another in the chest. Smith, unarmed and reportedly standing still when the shots were fired, was seriously injured and taken to Atrium Health Main for emergency surgery.
Following the shooting, officers located Wood still in the shopping center. He was found carrying a concealed 9mm Taurus pistol, the same caliber as the two shell casings recovered at the scene.
During his interview with CMPD, Wood admitted to shooting Smith but claimed it was in self-defense, describing the shots as 'warnings' meant to stop the fight. He admitted that Smith did not have a weapon and that he felt 'dazed' but not seriously injured by the punches.
CMPD said Wood failed to demonstrate a reasonable fear of deadly force, reportedly undermining any potential legal self-defense claim.
Investigators concluded that the shooting was not justified under North Carolina law and charged Wood with attempted first-degree murder.
Wood's May indictment means the case will proceed to trial unless a plea deal is reached.
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