Folks are calling an Ohio waiter a “hero” after a video captured him stopping a man from shooting his ex-wife in a busy restaurant. Tracy Cole Jr. was working in a restaurant in downtown Toledo when he tackled the man in heroic footage.
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Waiter Stops Man From Shooting Ex-Wife In Ohio Restaurant
Heroic footage captured Cole stopping a man as he tried to shoot his ex-wife while she dined at the downtown eatery Sabira, per ABC News4. The drama unfolded on April 11, 2025.
Matthew Exton is seen in the clip pointing a gun at his ex-wife’s head, pulling the trigger. However, the safety was still on, and as he fumbled with the weapon, Cole came to the rescue.
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Footage shows Cole walking into the frame as he sees Exton with the gun. Cole immediately ran toward Exton and tackled him from behind. Other people at the table jumped in to assist Cole, and Exton was arrested.
Exton Also Spat At Ex-Wife
Exton was reportedly drinking at a venue nearby when he witnessed his ex-wife and her family at the downtown restaurant. Before the attempted shooting, Exton allegedly ordered a drink to be sent to her table. He then spat toward the group before leaving.
Furthermore, he returned to the restaurant with a gun and pointed it at his ex-wife, who yelled, “gun,” according to WMGT News.
Exton’s ex-wife’s name is being withheld from reports. However, she made a statement in a protective order, per NBC News.
“The gun made rapid ‘click’ noises as he pulled the trigger,” she reportedly recalled.
Exton reportedly denied trying to shoot his ex-wife.
“I did not fire,” Exton said. “I did not hurt her. I did not try to hurt her.”
Nevertheless, he was found guilty of attempted murder and assault charges. The former attorney is scheduled for sentencing later in September.
Tracy Cole Jr. Speaks Out
Cole told WMGT News what he was thinking in the moment he saw Exton pull the gun’s trigger. Additionally, he added that he does not consider himself a hero, even though he felt his life was in danger when he jumped Exton.
“The only thing that went through my mind was that I’m gonna die,” Cole recalled. “It’s hard when I watch the video, and I see him pull the trigger… It’s just hard to see that and know that it 110% could have gone a completely different way.”
Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney Julia Bates said that Exton tried to publicly execute his ex, per NBC News.
“Nothing in their training and soft openings at the restaurant could have prepared the staff for what walked through that door,” Bates said. “The defendant did not come with the intention of having a meal. He came with anger in him and with the intention to commit a public execution of his ex-wife at the restaurant that day.”
