( CNN ) -- The FBI is investigating as a possible hate crime an incident in which a woman was beaten to the ground in front of her child at the entrance to a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Morrow , Georgia , south of Atlanta . Troy Dale West , of Poulan , Georgia , is facing battery and cruelty to children charges after the incident . Troy Dale West Jr. , of Poulan , Georgia , is facing charges including misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct after allegedly beating Army reservist Tashawnea Hill , 35 , after the two had words at the entrance of the Morrow , Georgia , restaurant the evening of September 9 . Hill , an African-American , told police that West , 47 , yelled racial epithets at her as the attack took place . `` He did punch me with a closed fist repeated times . My head is still hurting today . I have knots on my head , '' Hill told CNN Wednesday night , adding she also was kicked . Police said witnesses confirmed her account . The FBI has `` initiated an investigation in the matter to determine if a civil rights violation occurred , '' the agency said in a statement . Because the alleged incident happened in full view of Hill 's 7-year-old daughter , the Clayton County district attorney 's office added a felony charge of cruelty to children . `` [ The woman 's daughter ] was visibly upset the night of the attack , '' according to Capt . James Callaway of the Morrow Police Department , who said he was on the scene shortly after the alleged attack . A police report of the incident said Hill 's daughter was `` crying uncontrollably and her body [ was ] shaking/trembling '' from witnessing the attack . Watch Hill discuss ordeal with CNN 's Rick Sanchez » . Hill told police the incident started when she and her daughter were entering the restaurant at the same time West and his wife were exiting . `` The man slung open the door pretty hard and fast and I had to push my daughter out of the way , '' Hill told CNN affiliate WSB-TV . `` I turned to the man and I just said , 'Excuse me sir , you need to watch yourself ; you almost hit my daughter in the face . ' And from there it just went downhill . '' West , according to the police report , admitted striking Hill `` after she spit on me and accused me of trying to hit her daughter with a door . '' Appearing on CNN Wednesday night , Hill and her attorney , Kip Jones , denied that she spat on West . Jones said he saw surveillance video of the incident . `` At no point did Ms. Hill do anything to provoke the attack . She did not spit on Mr. West . She spoke to him . He attacked her , '' Jones said . Police say Hill stated that `` West punched her in the left cheek , forehead , kicked her body in several places , and punched her head in many areas several times . '' The Cracker Barrel 's manager told police he stepped between West and Hill to stop the alleged assault . Cracker Barrel spokeswoman Julie Davis said Wednesday that the restaurant was cooperating fully in the police investigation . `` It 's just terrible when something like this happens anywhere , let alone in one of our stores , '' Davis said . `` It 's worth noting that Cracker Barrel employees did their best to assist Hill as soon as they became aware of the situation . '' Jones said he was `` convinced this was a hateful , racist attack ... based on the N-word , the B-word , etc . '' `` The language was vile . It was racist . It was sexist . It was completely offensive , completely unprovoked , '' Jones said . CNN 's efforts to reach West at his home and business were unsuccessful . Police said they had no indication West had an attorney . He is free on bond awaiting a hearing in the incident , the Clayton County jail said . Hill was treated at a hospital after the attack and released . The Clayton County district attorney has forwarded surveillance video of the incident to the FBI . Edward DuBose , president of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP , said Wednesday his organization was concerned about the alleged assault . `` We do know that to see a young mother beat [ and ] grabbed the way this young lady was , raised concern to us in this community , '' DuBose said at a news conference in Morrow . `` Certainly it raised concern in this incident that some of the language ... was used toward this mother . '' He said he hoped the FBI would ensure `` that justice is served . '' He said his organization had n't spoken to Hill , but that it planned to reach out to her .
Woman : 01 The FBI is investigating to see whether `` a civil rights violation occurred '' Police report says `` West punched [ Hill ] in the left cheek , forehead '' Troy Dale West said Tashawnea Hill spit upon him ; Hill denies it .