McDonald’s customer accused of attacking employees with hatchet at South Side restaurant

A man is facing attempted murder charges after allegedly attacking several employees of a South Side McDonald's restaurant with a hatchet after he was denied a request for a free cup of coffee.

Jermaine Allen, 24, is well-known to employees of the McDonald's at 7832 S. Western Ave., where he is a "nearly daily" patron, Cook County prosecutors said at his initial hearing Tuesday.

About 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Allen approached a worker at the restaurant's counter and asked for a free cup of coffee repeatedly and was denied, prosecutors said. Allen then allegedly sat on the counter and refused to get off.

When the employee who denied him coffee bent over to get something from under the counter, Allen pulled out a hatchet from his pants and struck the 18-year-old in the neck and back, prosecutors said.

Allen then jumped over the counter into the kitchen area and attacked two women, both 45, critically injuring one of them when she was struck in the head, prosecutors said. The other woman suffered a deep cut to her neck that required seven stitches to close.

Allen stole cookies before leaving and was taken into custody after an "anonymous tip" that he was seen at a CTA station in the area, prosecutors said.

Allen had been wearing a face mask during the attack, which was recorded by surveillance cameras, but employees said they were able to recognize him from prior incidents, including by his voice, prosecutors said.

An assistant public defender for Allen noted his client was taken into custody without incident and had denied attacking the three workers when interviewed by police.

Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman ordered Allen detained on the charges, which also included multiple counts of aggravated battery.

“The randomness and the unpredictability of this concerns me," the judge told Allen when explaining her order.

The judge also revoked Allen's pretrial release in three other pending cases, which included charges for retail theft and possession of a controlled substance.

He is due back in court later this week on all four pending cases.