LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A downtown Louisville restaurant owner took matters into his own hands when looters tried to get into his business.
Mitch Lary, the owner of Manhattan Grill, happily served customers Monday afternoon all while staring at his damaged and now boarded-up restaurant.
"I feel awful," Lary said. "...I didn't do (anything) to deserve this."
Lary said shortly after getting a call from his security company Friday night, he headed to the eatery only to be met with broken glass.
"When I came down here, of course, there's no police," he said.
Lary said he grabbed his gun and posted up for the next eight hours. Over that time, he said he came face-to-face with four to five people trying to get in.
"I said, you know, I'm going to shoot you if you don't leave the place and they left," Lary said. "Thank God they left so I didn't have to shoot them."
Frances Gallup, a regular customer, was happy to see one of her favorite restaurants is still open, knowing that is not the case for a number of others who have been targeted by looters.
"There were good protesters and then opportunists that came through and started smashing things up," said Gallup, adding that she jumped into action to defend her own downtown home and to help protect her neighbors.
"We had to put out fires. There were garbage cans on fire. The bus stop was on fire."
For Lary, he said he supports peaceful demonstrations but not destruction.
"Please stop," he said. "It's just like you're hurting the message and hurting the business, the local business."
Lary said if the looting continues, he may shorten business hours.
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