Employees at a Golden Corral in Henderson stabbed a man with a fork and hit and kicked him after they accused him and his friends of stealing food, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in District Court.
Gary Sellinger was dining with friends at the buffet-style restaurant at 1445 W. Sunset Rd., near Stephanie Street, on Feb. 2, 2025, when a manager approached his table and accused them of not paying for their meals, the complaint alleged.
Sellinger arrived at the restaurant at about 5 p.m. with one friend and grabbed a table before a second friend joined them, the filing states.
Sellinger tried explaining to the manager, identified in the complaint as Jamie Crafts, that he had a receipt showing he paid for three people. But Crafts ordered Sellinger and the others to leave, the lawsuit said.
As Sellinger stood up to hand Crafts his silverware, another employee — Michael Strang — grabbed Sellinger by the neck and slammed him into the table, according to the complaint. Additional unknown employees then “entered the fray causing Plaintiff (Sellinger) to fall to the ground and strike his head,” the complaint said.
The complaint said it is believed that Crafts, Strang and other employees “pummeled, hit, kicked and stabbed Plaintiff with a fork. This attack on a 59-year-old man caused serious and irreversible injuries to Plaintiff.”
Sellinger was left with a traumatic brain injury as well as scratches and stab wounds, the complaint said.
“I’ve had him evaluated and he has a traumatic brain injury because he struck his head on the chair when he was tackled and fell to the floor,” said Keith Galliher, Sellinger’s attorney, of his client.
“I’ve got the photos from the hospital, I’ve got the witnesses and they confirmed, the photos confirm he (Sellinger) was stabbed multiple times with a fork in the back,” Galliher added, declining to share those photos.
Seeking damages, other costs
The incident was reported to the Henderson Police Department, Galliher said. A police spokesperson said in an email Friday that officers were called to the restaurant at 6:08 p.m. on Feb. 2, 2025, and that the incident was documented as a call for service but that no report was filed.
The complaint lists Golden Corral Corp. as well as several other corporate entities — BLH LLC; BB Hospitality LLC; Heinz Enterprises, LLC and NV GG, LLC, among others — as defendants. Among other allegations, the suit alleges the corporate defendants and restaurant general manager Amy Bearden, who is also listed as a defendant, were negligent in hiring, retaining and supervising the employees involved in the alleged assault. Strang and Crafts were also named as defendants.
Representatives for Golden Corral could not be reached for comment on Friday. Bearden declined to comment when reached by phone Friday. Attempts to reach Strang and Crafts were unsuccessful.
According to Nevada secretary of state records, BLH LLC, BB Hospitality LLC and Heinz Enterprises each list Beth Heinz as a managing member and the Las Vegas-based David Salmon & Associates law firm as the registered agent of those companies. Efforts to reach Heinz were unsuccessful. The law firm didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Sellinger is seeking general, special and punitive damages each in excess of $15,000, plus attorney costs and other legal fees, according to the complaint.
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on X, @Casey_Harrison1.
