Two arrests have been made in the wake of a brutal bar fight that left one man hospitalized on Tuesday July 24th. The men in custody are two former New Orleans police department officers, who were off-duty at the time of the incident. They have been arrested on simple battery charges, and the NOPD has begun the process of terminating the officers. Early Tuesday morning police responded to a violent scene near the Mid City Yacht Club. George Gomez was badly beaten and police called paramedics, who transported him to the hospital. The men who had placed the call to police, John Galman and Spencer Sutton, revealed themselves as off-duty officers. Galman and Sutton claimed Gomez had attempted to attack them as they were leaving the bar, and that they were acting in self-defense. However further investigation, including video evidence and eye-witness accounts, revealed Galman and Sutton to be the primary aggressors. In a statement to The New Orleans Advocate, Gomez said, “He asked me if I was American. I told him yes, and he got mad because he said I was fake. Gomez says that at no point did the men indicate to him that they were off-duty police, and they were upset by the camouflage clothes he was wearing. When Gomez went to leave, they followed him out of the bar and started a physical altercation. Galman and Sutton were rookie officers, having just graduated from the police training academy this past December. They were still under a probationary period at the time of their firing, which means they will be unable to appeal the department’s decision. Police Superintendent Michael Harrison indicated in a statement that the department was taking this issue and the former officers’ actions very seriously. This ordeal comes in the wake of a pattern of hostile remarks from the President pertaining to Latin-Americans and immigrants, as well as his administration’s controversial deportation procedures currently being carried out at the southern border.
Misdemeanor Assault and Battery
In Louisiana, the misdemeanor assault and battery is a blanket charge that covers a number of violent acts committed against another person or persons. The ex-officers above were charged with simple battery, which carries a punishment of up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $1000. Battery is defined as the actual act of physical violence directed at another. Assault is the credible threat of physical harm, whether actually carried out or not. Aggravated assault is a physical attack on another person or persons with a deadly weapon. Each of these charges carry their own varying degree of punishment, individually or in conjunction with one another or other charges. If you have been charged with assault and battery, or any of its variants, the experienced criminal defense lawyers at Bloom Legal can help. Our attorneys will work with you and the courts to get your charges dismissed, dropped, or reduced so that you can get back to your life. Contact Bloom Legal today for a free consultation.
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