It was a regular Sunday night at Healy’s West Side on the 7300 block of West Madison Street. An Oscar party was in full swing, and a good size crowd had gathered for a relaxing evening. It was calm, as usual, at the popular downtown locale.
Suddenly, a man walked in from the street and began a chain of events that ended with his arrest. Reportedly, nothing in particular sparked the man’s alleged violent reaction, but a quick response from Healy’s general manager, Forest Park Commissioner Mark Hosty, ended the fight, almost before it began.
“It was the first fight in probably 10 years,” said Hosty, adding that this is not par for the course at Healy’s. “It was a random guy walking in off the street, came in and caused trouble.”
For Hosty, who subdued the man, the incident was “nothing really; it was just removing someone who walked in.”
The man, Shannon Smith, 28, allegedly threw another patron’s beer bottle across the bar after the patron refused to give him a cigarette.
Hosty, who was on duty that evening, told police he approached Smith and warned him that his conduct was unacceptable,
asking him to leave.
Smith, who was allegedly intoxicated at the time, replied by striking Hosty in the face, causing him to bleed from his nose, according to police reports.
Hosty, who suffered a cut on his face below the nose, subdued Smith, holding him on the ground until police arrived at the scene.
“It was easier than to let him keep swinging,” Hosty said.
When police officers arrived, Smith
wasn’t ready to give up, according to
police reports.
The man struggled with the officers as they were taking him into custody and placing him in the squad car.
At the station, while being processed, police stated that Smith continued to struggle, even pushing an officer away.
Smith was charged with battery and resisting arrest; he is expected in court on April 12 at 9 a.m.
