LEAGUE CITY, Texas – A man stabbed a Jack in the Box manager three times on Wednesday after he was asked to wear a face mask, investigators said.
League City police said James Henry Schulz, 53, walked into the restaurant around 8 p.m. without a mask on and was told he needed to wear one or use the drive-thru, KTRK reported.
“(Schulz) belligerently refused and said they did not want to serve him because he was homeless and began yelling that he would be contacting his attorney as he was filming with his cellphone,” League City police Chief Gary Ratliff said during a Thursday news conference.
Store surveillance video shows the manager showing Schulz the store’s written policy and escorting him from the restaurant. Moments after the manager turns his back and returns to the restaurant, Schulz runs after him and attacks him with a pocketknife, KTRK reported.
The manager was taken to a hospital with injuries to his arm and torso. He was treated and released.
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“Due to privacy issues and the current police investigation, we are unable to discuss details at this time,” Jack in the Box told KTRK. “We have a temporary brand standard that requires our franchisees to require their employees and guests to wear masks.”
Schulz fled the area on a bicycle with a yellow flag. The bicycle was later found abandoned. An arrest warrant was issued for Schulz who is still on the loose.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lifted the state’s mask mandate earlier this month. Businesses still can enforce their own mask policies.
“It’s a very polarizing situation where some folks don’t believe that there should be masks and others do,” Ratliff said. “A lot of these people have had some of these events. I don’t know this manager but have had personal events with loved ones that have died and passed away as a result of COVID, as some of our officers have. All I would ask is that people respect the opinions and the policies of these businesses. You can refuse to do business at those locations or whatever it is you choose to do, but there’s no reason to resort to aggressive behavior like this.”
