MANILA, Philippines – Top Chef 2011 winner Paul Qui was arrested on charges of allegedly assaulting his girlfriend last Saturday, March 19 (Sunday, March 20 in Manila).
Police in Austin, Texas, responded to a call from Qui's friend who claimed that he "and his girlfriend were fighting," local TV station KXAN reported. When authorities arrived at the scene, they were said to hear "screaming and yelling" through the door.
Officers reported that a bloodied Qui opened the door while the woman was crying with a small child. Furniture and broken glass were found strewn all over the apartment.
According to the arrest affidavit referred to by KXAN, Qui and his friends came to the apartment to drink and take drugs while Qui's girlfriend and her son were sleeping. He woke her up to join them; however, he kicked all of his friends out in a jealous rage, accusing them of flirting with his girlfriend.
The victim referred to Qui as "very controlling and extremely jealous," she told authorities.
She had attempted to leave the apartment with her son, but "Qui 'stood in front of the door' and blocked her exit and 'forcibly pushed her and her son away,'" KXAN reported.
The arrest affidavit had stated that Qui picked his girlfriend up and threw her against the walls and doors, refusing to let her leave.
In the affidavit, 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." He added that he “wanted to be able to tell his side of the story.”
He also said that his girlfriend didn't hit back, and "he was only grabbing and holding her so she didn’t leave before police arrived."
He was charged with unlawful restraint and assault causing bodily injury to a family member – both tagged as class A misdemeanors. However, he later posted bond and was released later in the day.
Qui released a statement via email to Austin360, a news website operated by local newspaper Statesman. He wrote, "On Saturday morning, I asked my friend to call the police to aid in an argument with my girlfriend that had escalated beyond my control. I was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors. I am innocent of the charge of assault."
“This situation made me realize that I need to take more time for my health and myself. I will be checking myself into a treatment facility in the coming days and I am appreciative of the support of my family, friends and partners. Thank you for respecting my privacy.”
Born in Manila, Qui moved to the US at the age of 10. He currently resides in Austin and operates his own restaurant named qui.
He won season 9 of reality show Top Chef in 2011 and the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest region in 2012. – Rappler.com