Sidewalk clash on Peterson Avenue sends two to jail, one to the hospital

It’s not really fair to call what happened on the sidewalk on South Peterson Avenue Saturday night a fight. There was a punch or two passed but it was all one-sided and not exactly fair. When the dust settled, one person visited the emergency room, another had a busted lip, and two others made a late-night trip to the Coffee County Jail.

The incident report from the Douglas Police Department is a little confusing — things are convoluted when alcohol, a large crowd, and fights are involved — but here is what the report says happened (with a little clarification from witnesses).

Just after 10:30 p.m., Douglas police officers responded to a call on South Peterson Avenue outside of 317, which was in its last night of business. The incident happened on the sidewalk in the restaurant’s vicinity. 

The report states that Christopher Marschal, 37, allegedly hit a man, knocking him out on the sidewalk. The report does not state why Marschal allegedly hit the victim. Eyewitness accounts differ greatly on exactly what led to the altercation. However, they all agree on one thing: The victim, who was still on the ground when officers arrived, was not expecting the punch.

While the police were there, what the report calls “another commotion” broke out on the opposite side of Peterson Avenue. A crowd started running toward what was happening over there and police followed. The officers left the victim in the care of an off-duty paramedic who had already been tending to him.

When officers made it across the road, a female with a busted lip told them that another female, identified as Powell, had “hit her for no reason,” according to the report. The report states that after the male victim had been hit, Powell was slapping him in the face and “wanting to do CPR” on him. The report also says that though unconscious, the victim was breathing and did not need CPR.

The female victim, a nurse, had been attempting to help the male victim when “Powell hit [the female] for no reason.” That led to the incident across the road. 

By the time officers got over there, Marschal and Powell had left the scene. Marschal’s home was in Atkinson County. Officers went to his home, where they found both Powell and Marschal. The officers arrested them and transported them to the Coffee County Jail. They were charged with battery and have since been released. 

The male victim was transported to Coffee Regional Medical Center for evaluation. He did not suffer serious injuries. The report states that both the male and female victims indicated they wanted to press charges as a result of the incident.