Black food critic sues S.C. eatery after he was assaulted & ejected, suit says
A Black food critic and social media personality in South Carolina has sued a Florence restaurant after a viral video showed the critic being accosted and ejected from the establishment.
In lawsuit filed Friday against Percy & Willie’s, Trayvon Turner — who, online, goes by Ben-a-Critic — accused its owners and managers of physically ejecting him for recording a review, calling police with a false claim that he assaulted an owner, and blocking his car in the parking lot to keep him from leaving.
It’s an episode that, he says, ignited a wave of online attention, threats and lost work.
The defendants include Neel Lands, LLC, which does business as Percy and Willie’s Food & Spirits, as well as several individuals: William Hal Neel III (named as an owner), Jeffrey Chamblee (operating partner), Andrew Davis (general manager) and Tracy Counts (service manager).
The State attempted to contact Neel and Chamblee in response to the suit, but has not yet received a response.
The suit demands a jury trial and seeks actual and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
‘No recording policy,’ then a confrontation
Turner visited on May 3 and was “greeted cordially” by staff as he filmed his experience, a practice he calls common among critics and diners, according to the suit.
After he ordered and waited for his food, the complaint says, a manager approached and asked him to walk to the front of the restaurant, where he was told he had to leave because video recording was not allowed.
Turner asked why he wasn’t simply asked to stop recording, the suit says, and a “heated verbal exchange” followed.
The complaint claims the no recording policy was pretextual and that the real motivation was “at least in part” Turner’s race, alleging that the restaurant applied its purported rule in a discriminatory manner.
Physical removal and a false report to police
The suit says Neel used his “chest and body” to push and press Turner out of the restaurant, making unwanted physical contact while Turner repeatedly demanded he stop.
It further alleges that Neel then called law enforcement and falsely reported that Turner struck him in the face — a claim the complaint says is “directly contradicted” by video Turner captured.
Police responded, but no arrest was made and no charges were filed, according to the complaint.
After his removal, Turner says, Chamblee positioned himself around Turner’s vehicle, blocking it to prevent him from leaving until officers arrived — conduct the suit characterizes as intentional restraint without legal authority.
Claims: assault, battery, defamation and false imprisonment
The complaint asserts multiple causes of action, including assault, battery, defamation, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence-related claims including negligent supervision and negligent training.
Turner says that after he posted the video publicly, the incident spread across social and news media, and he received death threats, suffered severe emotional distress and was unable to work for weeks, causing economic losses and reputational harm.
The case was filed by attorney Carles’ Anderson of the Anastopoulo Law Firm, according to court documents.
