Alleged Attacker Sues Employee He Threw a Plate At

Can You Believe It?

Wilmington, NC (WorkersCompensation.com) – The former owner of a North Carolina brewery has filed suit against an employee of another restaurant who claimed he assaulted them.

David Gary Sholar, the former owner of Edward Teach Brewery in Wilmington, N.C., applied for a civil summons on July 24, one day after he allegedly attacked an employee at Longhorn Steak House. Officials said the incident happened on July 23 around 1 p.m.

According to the Wilmington Police Department, Sholar was dining at the restaurant with his dog and was feeding the dog from the table. An employee allegedly approached the table and informed him that his actions were a health code violation, and he would need to stop. The employee then offered to put food into a doggie bag for the pet to snack on later.

Police said an argument ensued with Sholar shouting obscenities at the employee for an extended period of time. When Sholar was asked to leave, it infuriated him even more. When the employee reached over to remove a porcelain plate from the suspect, Sholar allegedly “grabbed the plate away and threw It forcefully against the employee’s head.

According to two 9-1-1 calls, the incident left the victim bleeding profusely. The employee was taken to Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and treated for their injuries. The plate allegedly caused a hairline fracture of the skull and required seven stitches, court records said.

After an investigation into the incident, Sholar was arrested on August 7 and charged with assault inflicting serious injury.

The warrant for Sholar’s arrest stated the injuries required the victim to also visit an urgent care twice for pain and headaches, as well as return to the hospital for CAT scans and a visit to a neurologist for a follow-up to the CAT scan.

According to Sholar’s lawsuit, the employee “assaulted and battered” him and “initiated contact with, and applied force” to his body without his consent.

After a wave of community reaction to the incident, the Edward Teach Brewery said via its attorney that Sholar was no longer an owner of the brewery and that he had transferred ownership of the brewery to a trust controlled by his sister before the incident happened.

The brewery’s attorneys posted the official document showing the transfer of ownership on Facebook, which shows that it happened on July 14.  

On August 14, the brewery posted about the incident and the new ownership in another social media post.

“We were surprised and saddened to read yesterday’s reports about an incident at LongHorn (sic) Steakhouse in July, reportedly involving our prior owner. Like most of you, our employees first heard about that incident through yesterday’s news,” the statement said. “As you may have seen, our taproom has been dark over these past several months, during this transition period--not because our passion for this place has faded, but because we’ve been quietly working behind the scenes to repair storm damage, restore our bar, and prepare for our new beginning.”

The brewery went on to say the changes to the brewery have been difficult for the employees and customers of the establishment, but that they intend to open again soon.

“We know the last year has brought challenges and hard moments. All we can do is move forward with integrity, kindness to all, and love for the city that has given us so much. Wilmington is our home. You are our neighbors. And when we reopen, we hope you’ll see not just a brewery, but a team that remains ready to serve you, laugh with you, and be part of your stories again,” the brewery said.

Others in the Wilmington community have stepped up to help the employee who was allegedly attacked. The owners of The Fork N Cork and Smoke on the Water said they would sell Edward Teach Brewery products for $2 with all of the proceeds going to the alleged victim.

Sholar was arrested for assault and communicating threats in 2024 after an incident that took place inside the brewery in November 2023, reports indicate. He later entered an Alford plea, where he did not plead guilty or innocent but acknowledged there was enough evidence to convict him, to charges of disorderly conduct on a licenses premise and failure to superintend. The court dismissed the charges of communicating threats and assault.

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