Man fatally stabbed at Antioch restaurant

Metro police said that a man came into a restaurant in Antioch Wednesday night to settle a drug debt and ended up fatally stabbing an employee who tried to defuse a confrontation. Suspect caught Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said that a suspect was taken into custody on Interstate 24 after he fled the O'Charley's restaurant at 923 Bell Road in a pickup truck. Police identified David Kimball, 28, whose last known address is in Nashville, as the suspect charged overnight in the slaying case. 'Innocent employee' was killed Aaron gave this account of information that police have gathered:At 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, the suspect came to the restaurant and began banging on an exterior window, evidently attempting to gain the attention of a waiter who, police are told, owed the suspect a "drug debt." The suspect wound up inside the restaurant, where he was confronted by another employee. That person, believed to be one of the cooks, was not on duty but was at the restaurant to socialize with friends. "The innocent employee was attempting to defuse or divert any confrontation" between the suspect and the waiter, Aaron said. The suspect pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed the innocent employee, Aaron said. Victim died at scene Aaron said that 911 was called at 9:30 p.m., and when police and ambulance arrived, the employee, who was in his late 30s, was already deceased inside the restaurant. Witnesses brought after vehicle stopped The suspect fled the restaurant in a red Ford pickup truck, and witnessed provided a very good description to officers, Aaron said. A North Precinct lieutenant and an East Precinct officer spotted a vehicle matching the description as they traveled on I-24 near downtown and stopped it near the James Robertson Parkway exit.Witnesses were brought to that scene and identified the man in the pickup as the individual who stabbed the victim, Aaron said. The suspect, Kimball, was taken to the South Precinct and interviewed. He was charged in night court downtown during the night. A concerned community Aaron acknowledged the community's "Fed Up" rally against crime Tuesday night in which hundreds of people showed their support. Aaron said that the "root cause" of Wednesday night's events was a dispute "between two individuals who knew each other, we are told." There was nothing the community could have done to prevent the actions he said. He reaffirmed the Police Department's commitment to the Antioch and Hickory Hollow communities.At the time of the attack, the restaurant was still open, and about 40 people were inside, Aaron said. No one else was hurt. — LEIGH RAY Leigh Ray can be reached at 615-726-5951 or lray@tennessean.com