Fights occurring outside of bars are an all too common occurrence. The combination of alcohol and an escalating conflict between two or more individuals has in many cases resulted in serious or even deadly consequences. However, when Ohio police arrest an individual on felony charges as a result of such an altercation, the question that commonly arises is what circumstances lead the fight to occur and who was actually responsible for initiating it.
Two men were recently arrested for their alleged conduct in a bar fight in Alliance, Ohio. One man, identified as being 22-years-old, is alleged to have hit another man with a beer bottle and attempted to stab both the man and the bouncer who tried to intervene. Police also say that the man resisted their attempts to place him into custody. The man was finally subdued and now faces several felony charges.
Another man, identified as being 32-years-old, was also charged in the fight. The man is alleged to have struck someone in the bar and purportedly resisted when an officer tried to handcuff him, resulting in the officers using a Taser. Both individuals were taken into custody, but it is unclear whether they were subsequently released or if they remained incarcerated pending an initial court hearing.
What is absent from this report are the circumstances that lead to the two defendant’s alleged conduct. It is unclear how many people were involved in the altercation and whether other individuals are also believed to have possessed weapons. This information could prove to be useful if either or both men assert that they were merely reacting to a perceived threat and that their actions were reasonable given the circumstances. If Ohio prosecutors are unable to convince a court by competent proof that the accused men are guilty of the felony charges pending against them, no conviction can take place.
Source: the-review.com, “BAR FIGHT IN ALLIANCE, OHIO, LEADS TO ARRESTS,” John G. Whiteacre, Feb. 25, 2013