Two men have been charged after allegedly beating a man at an Idaho Falls bar, resulting in serious injuries.
Patrick Andy Jennings, 49, of Bozeman, Montana, and Edward James Jennings, 40, of Rigby, are both charged with felony aggravated battery and misdemeanor battery.
According to court documents, Idaho Falls police officers responded to a report of a brawl at Ford’s Bar on June 6. A bartender informed officers that the argument started when a woman bought a drink for a 28-year-old guy, which irritated her husband.
The woman’s husband apparently challenged the man, after which “all parties exited the bar to fight.”
The 28-year-old man was knocked unconscious and sustained many severe injuries, including “a large contusion on the back of the head, fractured upper jaw, fracture near the left maxillary sinus, and several top front teeth pushed forward,” according to police reports.
Police identified suspects using open bar tabs, including both Jennings men. On June 10, police attempted to contact the victim but were informed by family members that he needed many surgeries and was unable to communicate owing to the severity of his injuries.
The next day, authorities obtained surveillance footage from a company across from the bar. According to the video, the victim and Edward exit the bar, with Edward hitting the victim in the face and both falling to the ground.
The two then stood up and proceeded to the middle of the street, where they started fighting.
Two other men departed the bar; one of them was named as Patrick and allegedly attempted to intercede in the altercation. Edward briefly left the battle, but he reportedly returned, and both Edward and Patrick began hitting the victim.
“After another brief disengagement, Patrick punched (the victim) in the face without provocation, causing him to fall to the ground,” according to court reports. “While (the victim) was on all fours, Edward returned and kicked him in the face, rendering him unconscious.”
According to police, Patrick then proceeded westbound on A Street, while Edward and the unknown male were joined by three ladies before departing the scene. According to reports, three minutes later, two women left the bar and saw the victim lying in the street.
On June 30, the victim went to the Idaho Falls Police Department to provide a statement.
According to the victim, he arrived at Ford’s Bar about 10 p.m. and was confronted by three males who dared him to fight. The victim claims he consented and began heading toward the door before being “grabbed from behind, pushed out the door, and struck from behind by an unknown object.”
The victim claims he had a concussion, which caused memory loss, but he remembered parts of the struggle and when he woke up. After being taken to the hospital, the victim was diagnosed with a laceration on his head, a concussion, missing teeth, a fractured left cheekbone, a deviated septum, and a broken jaw.
On July 8, detectives met with a witness who claimed she observed the incident start when a woman offered the victim a shot of alcohol. The woman’s husband apparently became irritated, resulting in the brawl.
The woman claims she urged me to take it outside, expecting a one-on-one battle, but she subsequently discovered that many men had gotten in and were hitting the victim. A few minutes later, she claims she saw the victim unconscious on the street and called 911.
Officers later got a video from inside the bar, which allegedly showed Edward, Patrick, and two other men sitting at the bar with three unidentified women. The victim then entered the bar, approached the group, and started speaking with them.
According to court records, one of the women handed the victim a drink, prompting Patrick to confront him, followed by Edward.
“After a heated exchange, Edward and (the victim) moved toward the front door,” according to court filings. “Edward was seen removing his glasses and tossing them on the bar before both men exited the bar.”
On July 17, police met with one of the men who had joined Edward and Patrick at the tavern that night. The man stated that he remembered being at the bar with his wife and a family member, Patrick, when a fight broke out.
When questioned about how the altercation started, the man explained that the victim had inappropriately grabbed a woman at the bar, leading her husband to become irate. According to the man, he is the wife, and Patrick fled immediately after the argument began.
The man also admitted to being heavily intoxicated at the bar and said he couldn’t remember much.
On July 22, detectives spoke with Edward, who stated that he did not want to cooperate with authorities and recommended them to contact his lawyer. Police were eventually able to contact one of the women who had joined Patrick and Edward in the bar.
The woman claimed that the victim had been improper with another woman at the bar, which prompted the fight.
On August 29, warrants were issued to arrest Edward and Patrick. Patrick was arrested on October 25, while Edward was apprehended and put into the Bonneville County Jail on October 29. Both were charged with a $50,000 bond. After posting bond, Patrick was released on October 27 and Edward on October 29.
Edward and Patrick are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday. If convicted, they may serve up to 15 years and 6 months in prison.
Although both men have been charged with these offenses, that does not necessarily imply that they committed them. Everyone is deemed innocent until proven guilty.
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