LR woman arrested after allegedly threatening her with a knife

A Little Rock woman was arrested on assault charges Saturday after she allegedly pulled a knife on a man at a local restaurant following a road rage incident between them.

Brittany Renee Tate, 37, of Little Rock, was taken into custody at Panda Express, 1384 Higdon Ferry Road, about 3:15 p.m. and charged with aggravated assault, punishable by up to six years in prison.

Tate, who reported no prior offenses, was released on $2,500 bail less than an hour after being booked into the Garland County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in Garland County District Court on June 7.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Hot Springs police responded to Panda Express shortly after 3 p.m. for an assault with a knife. Dispatchers said there was a disturbance at the restaurant between two black women and a white man, and one of the women reportedly had a knife and “pointed it at the man.”

Sergeant. Patrick Langley saw a woman, later identified as Tate, standing near the front counter in the restaurant and noticed she had a knife in her hand and was pointing it at a man who was “hiding” behind the register and “tried to escape.” from her.”

Officer Zach Hoofman arrived moments later and helped Langley take Tate into custody for assault.

Officers spoke with the man, who stated he parked outside in the parking lot, exited his vehicle and entered the restaurant when he was approached in the parking lot by a woman, later identified as Tate, who spoke to him about “his “Driving began to argue.”

He said Tate told him she was going to get her knife. At this point, the man walked into the restaurant and began ordering food. Tate then allegedly entered the restaurant and argued with the man again. At one point, she allegedly pulled a knife out of her purse and began “waving” it in the man’s face and “threatening to stab him.”

Officers spoke with two restaurant employees who said the man came in and was in the process of ordering and paying for his food when Tate entered, “kicked the man in the face” and began yelling at him.

The witnesses said the two continued to argue and then Tate pulled out a knife and began waving it in the man’s face. He noticed that the knife was “very close” to his face during the encounter.

Based on statements from the victim and witnesses, Tate was charged with aggravated assault.