Man attacked by drunk bicyclist agrees to let assault charge be dropped

Paul D. Jackson may have headbutted, tackled and beat his friend, Jimmy Cox in a dispute over money, but Cox didn’t hold a grudge as he agreed to a motion at Jackson’s preliminary hearing Tuesday to dismiss the assault charge.

"He was just intoxicated," Cox said of Jackson, who was arrested June 2 after Corbin Police broke up the melee at the corner of 7th and Poplar streets.

According to the arrest citation, police were called to the scene when an argument between Jackson and Cox over money turned physical.

Corbin Police Public Affairs Officer Maj. Rob Jones said Jackson had loaned $40 to Cox’s niece. Jackson was talking to her at the scene in an effort to get the money back. When she was unable to return the money, Jackson reportedly grabbed hold of her baby stroller. Cox stepped in, at which point, Jones said Jackson grabbed Cox’s cane and hit him multiple times and then tackled him.

When Officer Steve Meadors arrived, he said Jackson was on top of Cox, hitting him repeatedly.

"He football tackled me," Cox said Tuesday, showing the knot on his head where he said Jackson headbutted him.

After Meadors’ repeated orders to stop failed, Meadors stated he had to physically drag Jackson off of Cox.

In speaking with Jackson, Meadors noted that he had slurred speech, was unsteady on his feet and smelled of alcohol."

"(Jackson) stated that he had, ‘a couple of beers’ and that he rode his bicycle from (Kentucky Ave.)," Meadors wrote in the arrest report.

Jackson was charged with second-degree assault and operating a non-motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

After conferring with Cox and Meadors, prosecutors made a motion to dismiss the second-degree assault charge and amend the charge of operating a non-motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol to disorderly conduct.

In exchange for his guilty plea, Jackson was sentenced to 30 days in jail, serve five, and ordered to pay a $100 fine and court cost.

Judge Cathy Prewitt told Jackson he would be released from jail Tuesday but warned that if he had any contact with Cox during his probation period, he would go back to jail to serve the remainder of the 30 days.

Jackson responded that he understood and would not violate the conditions.