Anyone who has been to a bar likely knows that people can often behave unpredictably when under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, information provided by people who have been consuming alcohol may not be entirely reliable. For example, the veracity of the accounts regarding a street brawl in Missouri could be questionable; a man has since been charged with assault in connection with the incident.
The fight allegedly happened one night in September and involved a wedding party. Reports indicate that a group inside a bar turned aggressive just before they were kicked out by security. The conflict reportedly continued on the street.
In the ensuing altercation, a man reportedly struck a woman, causing her to fall and rendering her unconscious. She is said to have suffered a concussion. After witnesses reportedly named a man they described as the aggressor, he was arrested and charged with felony second degree assault. It is unclear whether the witnesses were involved in the alteration. The man reportedly told officers that he was unsure if he had actually hit the woman and that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Unfortunately, a witness’s perception of events can be skewed by stress and alcohol. While part of the incident was reportedly captured on video, it is unclear if the recently arrested suspect could be definitively identified as the aggressor based on the footage. In order to convict the man of the assault charges he faces, Missouri prosecutors must be able to prove that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt — a standard that is often difficult to meet.
Source: stltoday.com, “Man charged in St. Charles Main Street wedding party brawl“, Erin Heffernan, Sept. 28, 2017