On the night of October 31, 2019, Nicholas Phinazee Bryan, a 27-year-old white male, went to a Waffle House in Jackson, Georgia, following an evening of trick-or-treating with his family. An altercation began inside the restaurant between Bryan and two other patrons, Robert Lewis Henderson Jr. and Antonio DeMarty Evans. The situation escalated after Bryan allegedly used racial slurs towards Henderson and Evans.
Staff at the Waffle House asked Bryan to leave the premises, but he did not. Instead, a physical fight broke out between Bryan and Evans. During the altercation, Henderson fired a single shot, striking Bryan. The Butts County Sheriff's Office received three 911 calls from the restaurant, the first reporting an angry customer, the second a fight, and the final one reporting that shots had been fired. Bryan was transported to Monroe County Hospital, where he died from his wound in the early hours of November 1, 2019.
Following the incident, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to take over the case. Warrants were issued for both Henderson and Evans, who later turned themselves in to the Butts County Sheriff's Office. Robert Lewis Henderson Jr. was charged with murder and aggravated assault. Antonio DeMarty Evans faced a charge of tampering with evidence. The entire incident inside the restaurant was reportedly captured on video surveillance.
In November 2021, the case against Robert L. Henderson Jr. went to trial. After hearing testimony and reviewing evidence, including the video footage and 911 calls, a jury found Henderson guilty of voluntary manslaughter and felony aggravated assault. In December 2021, a judge sentenced Henderson to 20 years, with 12 years to be served in prison followed by eight years of probation.
