Fight breaks out in parking lot

Published 12:22 am Thursday, May 15, 2008

VIDALIA — Papa T’s employee Chasity Galtney didn’t expect a simple lovers’ quarrel to escalate to multiple battery charges right before her eyes.

“This guy and his girlfriend came in the store, and when she asked if she could get some food from the deli, he started shouting at her, saying, ‘I’m tired of supporting you,’” Galtney said. “She just put her drink down and went out to the truck.”

Galtney had a customer, and so she looked away.

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When she looked back up, the man — Doyle H. Myers, 32, 361 Crestview Drive, Ferriday — and an older man were fighting outside.

“He had gone out to the vehicle and yelled at her some more, but he didn’t know that her father had pulled up,” Galtney said.

In the time Galtney had looked away, the fight had already rendered two victims — and they weren’t the fighters.

A female on the scene tried to break up the fight, but was instead allegedly punched by Myers, who was reportedly wearing brass knuckles, Vidalia Police Investigator Lt. Charles Hall said.

Another female on the scene also tried to break up the fight, only to be allegedly pushed to the ground by Myers, hitting her head on the cement, Hall said.

“She just laid there for a long time,” Galtney said.

The fight eventually reached a point where Myers allegedly reached into his vehicle, grabbed a jack handle and threw it at the other man, missing him but damaging a gas pump, Hall said.

The other man also had a similar weapon, Galtney said.

“They just kept tussling,” she said.

Someone was eventually able to break the fight up, and Myers was taken inside the store until the police arrived on the scene and arrested him.

Myers was charged with second-degree battery, aggravated battery and simple criminal damage to property.

After being arraigned in Seventh Judicial Court Wednesday morning, Myers’ bond was set at $25,000.