Worker stabbed in argument at pizza shop, Virginia cops say. Husband, wife charged
UPDATE: The charges against Catherine and Corey Harper were dropped during a Jan. 14 hearing when a video showed the pizza shop worker acting as the aggressor, WAVY reported.
“Based on the video and other evidence that came to light following the arrest of the accused, it became clear that Mr. Harper was acting in legitimate self-defense and neither he, nor Ms. Harper, committed a crime,” Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said.
The original story is below.
A husband and wife were arrested after Virginia police and news outlets report a worker was stabbed during an argument at a pizza shop.
Officers responded to a call at 2:25 p.m. Nov. 17 at MOD Pizza in Norfolk, where they found a 24-year-old man, whose name was not released, suffering from multiple stab wounds, a spokesperson for the Norfolk Police Department told McClatchy News in an email.
Catherine Harper, 45, and the worker got into an argument over a wrong order, court documents said, according to WAVY.
Court documents said Catherine Harper called her husband, Corey Harper, 47, and asked him to “handle the situation,” which resulted in the stabbing, the outlet reported.
Catherine Harper is charged with one count of malicious wounding, and Corey Harper is charged with malicious wounding and brandishing a firearm, police said.
The worker was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
A MOD Pizza spokesperson told WVEC the company was “dismayed” to hear about the argument between their employee and two guests.
“MOD Pizza has zero tolerance for behavior that escalates conflicts, whether initiated by a guest or a team member,” the spokesperson said, according to the outlet. “Moments like these force organizations to re-examine employee training and look for ways to reinforce values and expectations.”
McClatchy News reached out to MOD Pizza on Nov. 18 but did not immediately receive a response.
The couple is set to appear in court Jan. 14, 2025, WAVY reported.
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 7:46 AM with the headline "Worker stabbed in argument at pizza shop, Virginia cops say. Husband, wife charged."
