Over the weekend, police arrested Paul Qui, a Top Chef and James Beard Award winner who owns Austin’s critically acclaimed Qui, for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. Reports say that Qui’s friend called the cops to inform them of the fight, and when they showed up at the chef’s apartment, they found Qui bloodied, his girlfriend crying and clutching her child, and furniture and glass broken. He has been charged with unlawful restraint and assault causing bodily injury to a family member. Kxan.com, a local news source, writes:
The victim told police “Qui is very controlling and extremely jealous.” The victim said she had been asleep with her son when Qui and his friends came home and began partaking in drugs and alcohol before waking her up and asking her to join the partying. The victim said she agreed and joined the party, having a couple of drinks before she said an intoxicated Qui began accusing his friends of flirting with her before kicking them all out, continued in the affidavit.
The victim then stated Qui became enraged and began knocking over furniture and breaking glass. She then grabbed some of her things and tried to leave with her son, but said Qui “stood in front of the door” and blocked her exit and “forcibly pushed her and her son away.”
According to the arrest affidavit, Qui then picked the victim up and began throwing her against the walls and doors while telling her she wasn’t going to leave. Qui admitted “to not allowing [the victim] to leave the apartment because he wanted the police to come and see all the damage in the apartment” and added that he “wanted to be able to tell his side of the story.” Qui stated his girlfriend did not assault him and that “he was only grabbing and holding her so she didn’t leave before police arrived,” continued in the affidavit.
[Kxan]
