Suspect in Whitehaven restaurant shooting was on probation for stealing cars

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The man arrested for the murder of two men at Tha Table restaurant in Whitehaven was in court Wednesday morning.

20-year-old Damion Banks is facing numerous charges including two first-degree murder charges.

Court documents show Banks was on probation at the time police say he fired shots outside a Whitehaven restaurant killing the owner and new father.

Investigators say Banks shot and killed Alfonzo Turner, owner of Tha Table, and 31-year-old Tedarius Day Sunday afternoon outside the restaurant on Elvis Presley Boulevard.

Banks was appointed a new attorney because of a conflict with the public defender’s office.

“I just met him this morning—very briefly—but I am told that he may be on diversion out of criminal court, so I assume there will be a violation of that if it hasn’t already been filed,” said Bank’s new attorney Kenneth Brashier.

On September 18 of this year, Banks was given probation for multiple prior charges including two felony theft of property charges, theft of a firearm, and a misdemeanor marijuana possession.

In the order, it said that the defendant was a first-time offender and not likely again to engage in a criminal course of conduct.

2 and a half months after that order was entered, police say Banks was on a spree of stealing cars all day Sunday that ended with trying to steal a car at Tha Table restaurant when someone came outside and started firing shots.

Banks told police he left the restaurant, then came back to confront them and opened fire a second time.

Banks is currently being held without bond, but he will be back in court Thursday morning for a bond hearing.

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