Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Afghanistan suspect’s 2002 arrest was at casino
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A police report says the U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians was arrested in 2002 in the drunken assault of a casino security guard.
The report was obtained today by The News Tribune newspaper in Tacoma. It says someone called police to report that the soldier, Robert Bales, had threatened another customer. Two security guards told him to leave, but Bales got out of his cab, picked up a trash can lid and rushed the guards, punching one in the chest before they tackled him.
The details are at odds with a description of the arrest by Bales’ attorney, John Henry Browne. He says it was for an incident involving a woman Bales dated before his wife.
An assault charge was dismissed after Bales completed 20 hours of anger management training.