Hatchet-Wielding Man Arrested After Fight Inside McDonald's Speaks

A man arrested after brandishing a hatchet in a McDonald's restaurant is speaking out about the incident. Michael Palacios, a 31-year-old Manhattan messenger, was caught on camera hitting another customer at the fast-food spot and ended up being taken into custody. Palacios is now claiming he was simply acting in self-defense and had no intention of actually using the hatchet. Here's what he says really happened.

According to an Uber Eats driver who captured the entire incident on his cellphone, Palacios was talking to a woman outside the Delancey Street McDonald's at 2.30 am and became reportedly aggressive when she rejected him.

Palacios' story is that he was drinking at the time and was annoyed when the McDonald's security guard wouldn't let him use the bathroom. Keep reading to learn more and see the video.

Palacois ends up getting into a physical altercation with other diners: In video footage, three men can be seen repeatedly punching Palacios as he stands next to the garbage receptacle inside the McDonald's. After the men step away, Palacois can be seen taking a hatchet out of his backpack before smashing up the restaurant. "I waited for them to finish what they were doing and I just did what I wanted to do," Palacios told ABC News.

According to police, Palacois slapped one of his attackers, threatened people in the restaurant, and smashed a glass wall. "My intentions were not to hurt anyone," Palacios says. "My intentions were not to put anyone in the hospital or dice anyone up, the reason I pulled out the hatchet was, ok, I'm going to get back at these guys but make sure they don't jump me again."

Palacois says he carries a hatchet in his bag because he feels safer having some sort of weapon in case of trouble. He insists the hatchet is not meant for actually attacking people. "I'm out there on the road, always getting into it with drivers which is what the tomahawk is for, it's not for people, it's for trees and vehicles," he says.

Palacios was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, three counts of menacing, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. There is no confirmation at this point that the three men who attacked Palacois are being investigated—but he says he won't press charges against them. "They don't need to be in jail to learn a lesson, I hope that the fear they felt that night is enough to never assault someone again," he says.

The man with the axe in McDonald's did a interview 😅 pic.twitter.com/MSuwUq0k5g

— Mela Yela (@_melayela_) September 19, 2022