A late-night craving for a hashbrown bowl now sits at the center of a federal lawsuit, with a Nashville man claiming his Waffle House stop ended with bear spray, a stun gun, and plastic zip ties. Gregory Lynn Hall, 62, alleges he was doused, shocked, and restrained at the Waffle House on Clarksville Pike on May 4, 2024, before being taken to Metro General Hospital for treatment. His complaint says the encounter left him with lasting physical injuries and ongoing mental trauma, and it seeks six-figure damages as the case moves toward a possible jury trial in 2027.
What the lawsuit alleges
According to the lawsuit, the trouble started when Hall overheard a cook directing profanities at a server and decided to step in. The complaint says a uniformed security guard then left the restaurant, returned wearing what Hall describes as riot-style gear, and sprayed him with bear spray inside the building. Hall alleges the guard followed him into the parking lot, deployed a stun gun, then knelt on his back and bound his hands with plastic zip ties.
Hall claims those actions caused “severe and permanent injuries” along with anxiety, sleeplessness, and the need for emergency medical care. The detailed allegations, along with the damages request, are laid out in the complaint obtained by The Independent.
Waffle House and the security firm push back
Waffle House has fired back in court filings, portraying Hall not as a peacemaker but as a problem customer. The company’s lawyers say Hall was rude and abusive toward staff and repeatedly refused orders to leave, which they argue justified the use of non-lethal force to remove a trespasser.
The security guard’s employer, S&S Management Group, has tried to distance itself from the confrontation. In its own filings, the firm contends the guard acted outside the course and scope of his employment and in violation of company policy. Those dueling narratives are laid out in the public court record, along with other responses and motions already filed. Coverage of the filings appears in the New York Post…