Carnell Ernest Hopson (Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
ATLANTA - A 32-year-old man faces multiple criminal charges after allegedly assaulting an employee inside a Georgia State University dining hall early Wednesday morning.
What we know:
Around 3 a.m. Wednesday, an unhoused man knocked on the door of the Piedmont Center dining hall at Georgia State University, which operates 24 hours a day Monday through Friday.
A dining hall employee mistakenly allowed him inside, believing he worked there or belonged in the building.
Once inside, the man got a plate of food.
A worker quickly confronted him, asking him to leave because he had not paid.
The situation escalated when the man knocked a plate off the table, physically confronted the worker and began throwing chairs at him.
Several students who witnessed the attack intervened to help defend the employee, whom they described as a well-liked staff member.
One student captured the entire incident on video.
Police arrested 32-year-old Carnell Ernest Hopson.
Hobson was booked into the Fulton County Jail and is facing charges of disorderly conduct, simple battery and aggravated assault.
As a result of the attack, dining hall staff are being retrained on security protocols, according to GSU.
What we don't know:
Police have not released details regarding whether any staff members or students required medical treatment following the physical fight.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a news report by reporter Angelique Proctor, who interviewed students on campus and spoke directly with the Georgia State University police chief.