On October 13, 2011, Denise Darbeau and Rachel Edwards entered a McDonald's in Greenwich Village after a night of drinking. Shortly after arriving they were involved in a confrontation with an employee, Rayon McIntosh, after the women allegedly tried to pass off a counterfeit fifty dollar bill. The whole scene was caught on film and what began as an argument quickly turned into more when the women jumped over the counter and one of them struck McIntosh, who responded by picking up a long, thin, metal rod (a kitchen utensil used to clean the griddle) and striking the women a dozen or so times. Darbeau suffered a broken skull and arm while Edwards was badly cut and bruised.

Although the women received the worse end of the confrontation in terms of injuries the original assault charge against McIntosh who argued self-defense, was dropped. A grand jury indicted Darbeau and Edwards on misdemeanor trespass charges which were later elevated to third-degree felony burglary charges. The women's criminal defense attorney said “The only person that uses the weapon, the only person that uses criminal force in the case is basically off the hook, and the people who got beaten to within an inch of their life are under indictment. In my opinion, that's not consistent with justice.” McIntosh maintains that he feared for his well-being and was acting out of self-defense.

Darbeau and Edwards entered a plea of not guilty to the charges and refused the prosecution's offer of probation for a guilty plea. The women and their criminal defense lawyer are outraged by the indictment and feel the situation is a “travesty”. However, the public is not so appalled. This is mostly due to the derogatory comments the women allegedly made to authorities, the comments they allegedly made to each other insinuating that alcohol played a role in the altercation and the fact that it was all caught on video showing the woman jumping the counter and starting the attack.

If you have been accused of assault , you should immediately seek advice from a lawyer that is experienced in handling assault charges. For a free consultation with such an attorney, complete the form to the left or call 646.741.3856. Based in New York City, Sullivan & Brill, LLP represents clients in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County as wells as other upstate New York counties.