PLEA DEAL

A Tidioute man charged with killing a U.S. Army veteran in a fight outside of a bar in Tidioute in May pleaded guilty to simple assault on Friday afternoon.

Brandon Patrick Bynum, 25, of Scott St., was scheduled to go to trial on Monday on charges of criminal homicide and simple assault that resulted from an altercation with Troy McFarland, 37, Tidioute, outside The Pub Bar.

Bynum admitted in court on Friday in front of Judge William Morgan that on May 9 he struck McFarland in the face and knocked him to the ground, causing serious injury to McFarland's head.

McFarland died on the scene as a result of the injury.

As a result of pleading guilty to simple assault, the Warren County District Attorney's office agreed to not prosecute Bynum on the charge of criminal homicide.

"We did not feel we had the proof of specific intent necessary to support the charge of criminal homicide," District Attorney Ross McKeirnan said after Friday's court proceedings. "I discussed it with the victim's family and they were agreeable to (the plea arrangement). I feel it ended up in a fair and just result."

Bynum and McFarland, a four-year Army veteran, were drinking inside of The Pub Bar the night of the incident. Bynum told police he had a history of bad blood with McFarland and that McFarland had tried to pick fights with him on several occasions.

Bynum told police that when he left the bar that night, McFarland was outside and began vomiting and using profanity, asking Bynum if he thought he was "tough" because he was wearing a "muscle shirt." Bynum claimed that McFarland attacked him, throwing him to the ground.

He later showed police fresh scrapes on his arm and knee, along with a hole in his pants he said were caused by the attack.

Reiterating his plea in court, Bynum told police he got to his feet and punched McFarland in the face, knocking him down.

McFarland's head hit the curb, fatally injuring him.

Police interviewed two witnesses at the scene. Neither witness saw Bynum or McFarland make physical contact with each other. One of the witnesses speculated at the time that perhaps McFarland "just fell from the curb."

Bynum faces up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine for pleading guilty to simple assault.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4.