Richard Bentley, 60 of Cedartown, was arrested this week after reports said he was found drunk at Auction Room Billards on South Main Street.
Officer said that they were dispatched to a possible assault at 415 S Main Street when they went into the building and found an intoxicated woman stating that a younger guy hit an older man. The woman stated that the elderly man was “saying stuff he should not be saying” by calling a woman a bitch. The woman then told police that a male in a black shirt at the poker table hit the elderly man. The officer added that the female was slurring her words and had a strong odor of alcohol coming from her breath.
The bartender then told police that the older guy was playing poker and was telling a woman that was also playing that “she had a horse shoe up her ass” and called her a “f*cking bi*ch`. She added that another male at the poker table said “hey bro this is the second time we have got into it about the way you are talking to women and do not talk to them that way”. The bartender then said that was when Bentley turned from the bar, grabbed his beer bottle and acted as if was going to use it on the other man.
While speaking with the police, Bentley stated that the woman put him out of the poker game and they were having some animosity and he called her out on it. He stated he was standing at the bar paying his tab when the other man stood up and threatened him.
Bentley told police that he did have a beer bottle in his hand and held it down by his side because he thought the guy was going to hit him again “like he did last time” He stated that was when he was hit in the lower back and the side of the face.
Officers said that they noticed Bentley was slurring his words and had a very strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath.
When officers went to speak with the other male involved, he stated that Bentley was a belligerent drunk. He added that he felt threatened
and did not know what he was going to do with the bottle in his hand because he was drunk so he hit him. The man added that :he was sober as a bird”.
The report added, “I then got with management and was able to watch the camera`s. The video shows Bentley walking up to the bar from the poker table. He was visibly upset and appeared to shoot the bartender birds. It then shows Bentley turning back towards the poker table and talking to what appears to be the other man. The other man appeared to be waving his arm in a manner of saying calm down to Bentley. Bentley then walks aggressively towards the other man at the poker table. Bentley did have a beer bottle in his left hand and then swapped hands he was holding it with as he walked towards the other man. It did appear that Bentley held the bottle around the neck with his right hand and kept it down towards his side. When Bentley approached the other man, the other man swung at Bentley and caused him to fall to the ground. From the video it appears the punch missed Bentley from being a full contact punch and fell from the momentum that the other man had and pushed him down.”
Bentley is charged with public drunk and disorderly conduct.
