'Top Chef' winner, restaurateur Paul Qui charged with assault

AUSTIN, Tex. — Renowned Austin chef and restaurant owner Paul Qui faces a misdemeanor assault charge after police responded to a report of fighting at his East Austin home.

Officers arrived at Qui's apartment just before 8 a.m. Saturday after a friend of Qui's calling from outside the apartment told police that Qui was fighting with his girlfriend, an arrest affidavit said. An officer said in the affidavit that they could hear "a lot of banging around in the apartment" and "yelling and screaming" inside.

The friend asked Qui to open the door to the apartment, the affidavit said. When Qui complied and stepped outside, the officer said "he had blood all over his face, arms, legs and clothing," which consisted of boxer shorts and a tank top. Qui was immediately handcuffed, according to the affidavit.

The officer also said in the affidavit that the apartment was "in complete disarray, and furniture and glass were broken" or turned over throughout the home. He said he also saw "blood smeared on the walls and the floor."

A woman inside the apartment was clutching a small boy, the officer said in the affidavit. She told police that she and Qui had been dating for a year and living together for eight months.

According to the affidavit, she said that Qui had invited some friends to the apartment the night before and that "they were all indulging in cocaine, Xanax, alcohol and marijuana." She said Qui invited her to join them and she "had a couple of drinks."

But Qui became jealous and accused his friends of flirting with her "and enticing her into having group sex," she told police. According to the affidavit, Qui kicked his friends out of the apartment before he "became enraged and started knocking over furniture, shelves, tables and breaking glass."

The woman said she grabbed her son and a few things in an attempt to leave, but that Qui stood in front of the door and pushed her away or to the floor each time she tried to leave, the affidavit said. She told police that Qui threw her against walls and doors and that she suffered pain in her hip, knee and arm. The officer said he noticed a "fresh cut on her right forearm and bruising on her upper arms" and that the right side of the woman's jaw was slightly puffy and swollen, the affidavit said.

According to the affidavit, Qui confirmed to police that he did become angry with his girlfriend, saying it was because she was flirting with his friends and agreed to have group sex. He also admitted to police that he did not allow his girlfriend to leave, but he said it was because he wanted police to see the damage done to the apartment and "to tell his side of the story," the affidavit said. Qui also told police that the woman did not assault him.

He faces two misdemeanor charges: one for assault with injury (family violence) and the other for unlawful restraint. Bail had been set at $15,000 for the assault charge and $5,000 for the restraint charge, but Qui was released from Travis County Jail on bond.

Cox Media Group