Man Arrested After Drinking His Own Urine At Buffet

Posted on April 30, 2014
It’s the kind of story that could make you argue, “That’s not news.” But it’s most certainly news if it happened in front of your family. A man relieved himself in a cup at a Kennewick restaurant, and then drank it.

Even the most disturbing events won’t stop some people from dining at their favorite restaurants.

“That didn’t stop us from coming to eat; we’re just hungry,” said Old Country Buffet customer Antonio Ramos.

These three boys were on their way to the Old Country Buffet by the mall. Jorge Medina was scrolling through his Facebook feed when he saw KEPR’s post about what happened at the restaurant Saturday night.

A man and a woman ate dinner. The woman paid for the meals and left. The Kennewick Police Department picks up the story from there.

“He then proceeded to stand up, unzip his pants, urinate into a cup and then drink it – this according to witnesses,” said Sgt. Ken Lattin.

“He can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn’t pee in the food,” said Medina.

26-year-old Ryan Bravo was asked to leave. Kennewick police arrested him as he was walking away from the restaurant.

The manager of the Old Country Buffet said he has no comment other than, “Yes, it did happen.” But Kennewick police say there were so many people disturbed by the incident that there were multiple complaints.

“You can imagine being there with your family and this sort of action takes place right in the middle of the restaurant,” said Lattin. “It’s obscene.”

It’s obscene, it’s illegal and it’s certainly not normal behavior. But KPD’s hands are tied.

“This person is not a criminal, but we have no other options. He really needs some mental health support,” said Sgt. Lattin.

Sgt. Ken Lattin points to this case as a reminder that Benton County is asking for a small hike to the sales tax to pay for criminal justice needs.

“They need medication, they need counseling to get them back on the right path. They don’t need to go to jail. That’s not the place for them,” he said.

Kennewick police say the man was homeless. The 26-year-old was charged with public urination and is still in jail. Bravo is banned from the mall property for five years.