Charges to Be Dropped in Domestic-violence Case Against Texas Celebrity Chef Paul Qui

Charges against Texas restaurateur and celebrity chef Paul Qui stemming from a domestic disturbance involving his girlfriend will be dropped, authorities say.Prosecutors plan to drop the charges of misdemeanor assault and unlawful restraint Monday because Qui's girlfriend "declined to cooperate," the Austin American-Statesman reported.Police arrested Qui, the 2012 winner of Top Chef, in March 2016 after his girlfriend claimed he kept her and her son from leaving the couple's apartment by pushing her and throwing her into walls and furniture.Qui, who according to an arrest-warrant affidavit was covered in blood when police arrived, told officers he "only was grabbing and holding" the woman so she wouldn't leave before police got to the apartment.The woman, who was sobbing on a couch and holding her child, had bruises and a cut on her arms and a swollen jaw, police said. The apartment was in a state of disarray, the affidavit said, with blood smeared on the walls and floor and broken furniture and glass scattered about.The girlfriend told police that Qui was drunk and tried to entice her into having group sex with some of his friends. He became enraged when she tried to leave, she said.Qui has maintained his innocence since his arrest.  Continue reading...