Opinion ID: 2068313
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: August 9, 2003 altercation

Text: In the early morning hours of August 9, 2003, Anthony and four companions approached the Dream Nightclub (Dream) in a vehicle. While outside of Dream, they were stopped behind a vehicle that was blocking them. In that vehicle was a woman talking to one or two men dressed in black who were standing outside of it. Several other men dressed in black were on the sidewalk near the stopped vehicle directing traffic with flashlights. Andre Jones, one of the occupants of Anthony's vehicle, approached the stopped vehicle to ask what was happening. One of the men in black showed Jones that he had a gun and another sprayed him with mace. A third man in black spoke into a walkie talkie, and immediately thereafter several other men came running from the front of Dream. Anthony and his companions got out of the car and a fight began, with several of the men in black circling around Anthony. He eventually broke loose and ran from Dream, but was chased down the street by at least one of the men involved in the fight and hit in the head with something that he described as a nightstick. The only person other than Anthony who was identified as involved in the fight was Jerrell Reeves, a security guard involved in the initial encounter that occurred immediately outside of Dream, and who called other security personnel for assistance. Reeves was an employee of Ink Reinforcement Agency, Inc. (INK), which provided security in the area outside of Dream. Anthony has alleged that as a result of being struck with the nightstick, he suffered severe and permanent head injuries.