A West Palm Beach employee claimed self-defense, but police said the evidence did not support it.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Police said surveillance video and witness statements failed to support a Taco Bell employee’s self-defense claim after two women were wounded Monday during gunfire inside a restaurant near Military Trail.
The case centers on a fast-moving dispute that began with a water cup and ended with a boarded window, injured customers and felony charges. D’Mari Jy’Quan Patterson, 20, was arrested after police said he fired inside and outside the restaurant.
According to investigators, three women entered the Taco Bell near Military Trail and 45th Street around noon April 27 and asked for a cup of water. Police said one of them filled the cup with soda from the fountain, prompting an argument with Patterson. A witness cellphone video captured Patterson yelling at the women, police said. Moments later, investigators said, the sound of a gun being racked could be heard before a shot rang out in the dining area.
Police said one woman was shot and fell to the floor. A second woman was grazed. A third woman fled the restaurant, and investigators said Patterson followed her outside and fired another shot in her direction. The bullet missed her and struck a window near the entrance. Officers later found the business surrounded by crime scene tape as multiple police units responded to the shooting scene.
Patterson called 911 after the gunfire and told dispatchers a customer had jumped behind the counter, according to police. Investigators said he admitted firing the gun and said he placed it in the management office before officers arrived. Patterson also told police he believed the women were armed. Officers said no weapons were found, and the affidavit said the available video and witness accounts showed the women were trying to leave when additional shots were fired.
The wounded women drove themselves to JFK North Medical Center. Police said two were treated for minor injuries and released. The third woman was not injured. The restaurant was closed temporarily while officers processed the scene, which caused traffic backups along Military Trail.
When a television crew returned the next day, the window near the entrance was boarded up. Customers described a shaken but reopened scene. “It’s not a problem. Things happen, and we just take it as it is and go from there,” one customer told CBS12 News.
Patterson faces three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. Police said the case remains under review by the State Attorney’s Office as court proceedings move forward.
Author note: Last updated April 29, 2026.