BBQ ribs were the cause of a family disturbance in Austin, Texas. According to KXAN, the incident occurred on the evening of Sept. 27 when Ethel Jean Banks, 61, came home and was hoping to eat her leftover ribs.
However, when she began looking for the ribs, she discovered that they had already been eaten. Banks confronted her brother and the two began arguing. Her brother admitted to eating the ribs and their argument soon became physical. Banks pushed her brother and he pushed her back which caused her to fall.
When she regained her balance, Banks stormed into the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife. She lunged at her brother and reportedly told him, “I’m going to kill you!”
Out of fear for his life, Banks’ brother ran from the house and found safety at a neighbor’s home. Banks told her brother that he would be locked out of the home and he eventually called police.
When police arrived, they recovered the knife used by Banks in the attack. She was eventually arrested and charged with aggravated assault for family violence.
But while the incident is odd in nature, it shows how mental illness is often criminalized instead of treated by health services. It’s apparent that Banks suffers from some kind of mental instability. The mere idea of killing someone over BBQ ribs proves that deeper issues exist.
