What to do if the police ask about a bar fight

deelo10 · #1 08-08-2006, 12:35 PM

My friend was in a bar fight a couple months ago. The police came and investigated it after my friend had already left and there were no names or idenification given by anyone who was there. The people he fought were drunk and got kicked out of the bar by the bouncers for trying to start another fight with someone else. My friend ended up getting in a fight with them when they were outside and broke both of there noses. He got out of there before the cops came like i said and has not been bothered since. He was pushed first and hit once. I know this would probably be self defense but the people who he got in a fight with said the person jumped them and they didnt start it. The bouncers could give no identification of the person and no one their could give any idenification. If he were to be questioned would it be smarter to just say he wasnt there or admit he was there and tell them what happened. I dont believe they would be able to touch him if he just said he wasn't there with no evidence. Thank you.

aaron · #2 08-08-2006, 12:50 PM

He has the right to remain silent. It's one that, if questioned, he should consider exercising.

deelo10 · #3 08-08-2006, 12:54 PM

what do you mean by exercising. If he has four witnesses willing to say he was somewhere else can anything be done.

garrula lingua · #4 08-08-2006, 01:21 PM

The police will do a 'six-pack' - they will take his picture from his motor vehicle license (or prior booking photo) and put in on a sheet with five other men's pictures.
If people ID him from the picture as being there that night, that will go, severely, against him at trial.

Just tell him to say 'on the advice of an attorney, he, respectfully, declines to discuss any matters with them (that, or any other issue)'.

DO NOT LIE.

Just invoke your right to remain silent.

deelo10 · #5 08-08-2006, 01:24 PM

the police already do not have any eye witnesses or anyone that says they would be able to identify him again. the only people the would be able to is the people who he got into the fight with and they were severely drunk and gettting in fights with other people all night. The cant take someones word who was severely intoxicated can they?

aaron · #6 08-08-2006, 01:30 PM

Why are you arguing? You're trying to convince us to tell him to talk to the police?

deelo10 · #7 08-08-2006, 01:34 PM

no, thats not what im saying at all. He was just getting really worried about it, I just wanted to find out for him what he should do if they police do question him. Thanks for all your help, i can tell him he has nothing to worry about.

Happy Trails · #8 08-08-2006, 02:41 PM

Quoting deelo10

what do you mean by exercising. If he has four witnesses willing to say he was somewhere else can anything be done.

So these 4 people are going to lie to the investigators (if it comes to that)?

Bad idea!

cdwjava · #9 08-08-2006, 03:07 PM

Trust me, unless someone was almost killed, the cops are going to waste about 10 minutes investigating a bar fight.

Your friend should just refuse to talk to the cops. Neither of you can POSSIBLE know what the police know or do not know, so to have four people lie for your friend is not only encouraging them to commit crimes themselves (possibly felonies if Conspiracy if a felony offense in your state as it can be in mine) but to make your friend and his pals look guilty.

If they have no proof, they have no proof. The cops are not going to spend a lot of time on this unless they are really, reallly bored. Drunks fight ... no injury, no foul - that's how we usually look at it.

- Carl