MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A grandfather is facing charges for threatening to seriously injure and kill his own grandson after a fight about going to Burger King, according to Memphis Police.
To walk to the Burger King near their home, the family would have to walk nearly 20 minutes mostly down a busy Lamar Avenue. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but that’s exactly what started the fight last week that could have turned deadly.
“My granddad wanted one of us to come with him to walk to Burger King because our car is down—neither of us would go because it’s cold,” Alexis Andrews said.
Andrews said that’s when her grandfather, 71-year-old David Worley, became irate and threatened her mom and brother, all while Andrews was holding her own young daughter.
“Next thing I know, my brother said words, my grandfather said words, he’s going after my brother with a knife,” Andrews said.
The 17-year-old brother and grandson suffered a cut on his finger. Police said the grandfather did much more than that cut. He also threatened to cut off his grandson’s testicles.
Then, Andrews’ mother became the new target.
“He took my mom by the throat, put her against the wall, had the knife against her neck,” Andrews said. “My sister picked up a frying pan to defend my mom.”
Andrews said she was terrified. She had never seen her grandfather get that way.
They called the police, who charged Worley with two counts of domestic violence aggravated assault.
Another family member paid Worley’s bond, so he could get out of jail.
Now the family says they’re torn about what should happen next.
“My granddaddy being old, he really [should] not be in jail like that,” Andrews said. “I really didn’t want to call the cops on him like that.”
But Andrews, afraid and shocked, said she had no choice.
“It doesn’t matter the age you are, you still shouldn’t do the things you do,” Andrews said.
The family said Worley has not been staying with them at the home where the incident happened.
Online records show Worley does not have any past incidents on his record in Shelby County.
