Speaking out after the arrest of his client Chris Young on Monday, his attorney is calling for the charges against Young to be dropped in light of the release of video of the alleged assault on a state agent. Young, 38, was charged Monday night with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assault on an officer.
Young’s attorney Bill Ramsey said in a statement: “What happened to my client Chris Young at a bar in Nashville on Monday night was wrong, and he never should have been arrested and charged in the first place. In light of the video evidence, Tennessee ABC needs to drop the charges and apologize for the physical, emotional and professional harm done towards my client.”
According to arrest affidavits filed in the case, Young was approached by Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC) agents doing compliance checks at Tin Roof on Demonbreun Street in Nashville. After presenting an ID, the agents scanned it then handed it back to Young, when the country singer began asking the agents questions about their actions and started video recording them. The agents moved next door to Dawg House, with Young and his friends following. As the agents tried to leave Dawg House, Young put his hands up as if stopping the agent and “struck me on the shoulder.”
Along with attorney Ramsey’s statement, several shots from different angels of the incident at Dawg House were released (no video from Tin Roof was released). None of the video released captured any of the argument between Young and the agents. In one video, Young turns toward the agents and reaches his hand out toward one agent’s arm or shoulder, when the agent shoves Young backwards. Young then loses his footing, trips over a barstool and falls to the ground. After getting up from the floor, Young puts his arms out to his side and starts to back away from the agent. Young’s friends are seen getting between Young and the agent, with other patrons of the bar standing. Young was arrested shortly afterward.
Following his arrest, Young was taken into custody and later released on bonds of $250 for the disorderly conduct charge, $1,000 for the resisting arrest charge and $1,250 for the assault charge. He’s set to appear in court on Feb. 16.
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