Wednesday, December 31, 2003
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Wednesday, December 31, 2003 |
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7 arrested for bar brawl in Westpark Walk By JOHN MUNFORD A dispute outside a Peachtree City bar escalated into a violent incident early Saturday morning that could lead to hate crime charges, according to police. The brawl, involving at least one gunshot that struck no one, happened within shouting distance of the city’s busiest intersection at Ga. highways 54 and 74. One man was left bloodied in the face as several others taunted him with racial slurs in a dispute outside Martini’s bar in Westpark Walk, reports stated. The victim also brandished a handgun and fired one shot, hitting no one, police said. Herbert Yarde, 27, of 2907 Lander Ct., Hephzibah, Ga. was arrested for one felony count of aggravated assault and misdemeanor reckless conduct for shooting the .380 semi-automatic handgun, police said. Three other men were arrested for striking Yarde, causing cuts on his face and a bloody nose, while two other men were arrested for disorderly conduct in connection with the incident. Although multiple charges have been filed in the case, they could later be upgraded to hate crime status for some suspects, said Peachtree City Police Chief James Murray. Detectives have been working with prosecutors from the District Attorney’s and State Court Solicitor’s offices to make that determination, Murray said. One hurdle in making the hate crime charges is the variety of stories officers were given for the dispute, Murray said. Monday afternoon, it was still unclear how the altercation began, he added. According to warrants, several of the suspects used racial slurs during the incident. Arrested were: Ryan Foles, 25, of 5985 Coatsworth Dr., Rex for misdemeanor counts of battery, obstruction of a police officer and disorderly conduct. Eric Collins, 24, of 100 Knight Way, Fayetteville for misdemeanor battery. Macon Mercure, 24, of 606 Hood Ave., Fayetteville for misdemeanor battery. Nicholas Speed, 24, of 1314 Tenny-Nelson Rd., Grantville for disorderly conduct. Robert Davis, 25, of 1353 S. Thompson Rd., Pine Mountain for disorderly conduct. A Fayetteville man, Garrett Taylor, 23, was charged with interfering with police officers and released on a citation, police said. The scene of the fracas was Martini’s, a bar owned by James Adduci, who was an unsuccessful candidate for Post 1, Peachtree City Council, in November. He finished third in the three-way race.
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