Man sentenced in connection with tavern beating, gun incident
Oct. 28—EAU CLAIRE — An Eau Claire man was sentenced to 166 days in jail for his role in an altercation at an Eau Claire tavern that injured a third man.
A gun was displayed during the incident, police said.
Kenneth J. Hynes, 41, 807 Water St., pleaded guilty this week in Eau Claire County Court to an amended misdemeanor count of battery and a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed knife.
Hynes was originally charged with a felony count of substantial battery.
Judge Sarah Harless also fined Hynes $866.
Co-defendant Andre G. Simmons, 42, of Altoona, was previously sentenced to an amended county ordinance violation of disorderly conduct and fined $734. He was previously charged with a felony count of possession of a firearm by an outstate felon and a misdemeanor count of pointing a firearm at another person.
According to the criminal complaint:
Eau Claire police were sent to the Five O'Clock Club on Dec. 13 to assist EMS personnel with a man who was assaulted and bleeding from the head.
The man was laying in the parking lot. Two other men and a woman were assisting him.
The woman, who was the bartender, told police the injured man is one of her regular customers.
Two men came into the tavern and said they had an issue with the man who was eventually injured.
Other people arrived and a confrontation ensued inside the tavern and one man displayed a gun.
The group involved in the altercation then went outside to the parking lot.
Police were able to identify Hynes and Simmons through the tavern's surveillance video.
Video shows Simmons producing the gun. Video also shows Hynes approaching the victim from behind and striking him in the face. The victim appeared to be knocked unconscious by the single blow because his entire body went limp.
The victim fell to the ground. Hynes then stood over him and struck him seven more times in the head with his hands.
As Hynes begins to walk away, he appeared to kick the victim in the head.
It appeared the victim was unconscious during the entire beating. He was unconscious for about five minutes.
Hynes was arrested four days later during a traffic stop. A knife was found in his front pocket.
