Charges against a Winona man, originally charged with aggravated assault, were eventually dismissed in Winona Municipal Court after the details surrounding the incident came to life.
Judge Donald Bond first amended the charges against Sammie Bryant to simple assault then ultimately dismissed them all together after court testimony showed he acted in self-defense in incident took place on Matilda Lane at the home of Frank Stokes. According to Stokes, a group of people had been drinking – with the exception of another man and Bryant who was at the home to repair Stokes truck.
He said it didn’t seem like Ferris Burt was intoxicated, but Burt said he was feeling the effects of the alcohol. Burt said he had been drinking and claims Bryant tried to “start mess” between him and another man.
After things died down, Burt said he got into an argument with Bryant, and “he was talking his mess and I was talking my mess. He wasn’t shutting up and I wasn’t either.” Burt said things escalated and things were thrown.
According to Burt, he threw a chair at Bryant to defend himself. But, Stokes told a different story on the stand.
“I’m not gone lie for him or for Bryant,” Stokes said. “You picked up that rake and you tried to hit him with it and told you to leave him alone twice and you didn’t.”
He said he didn’t know where the iron pipe came from but that Bryant did hit Burt with the pipe twice. Judge Donald Bond dismissed the charge against Bryant.
