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DECATUR — A Decatur man asked to leave a Macon bar because “he was making female patrons feel uncomfortable” responded by punching a man in the face and then driving off intoxicated until he was stopped by police, a sworn affidavit said.

Rocky J. Damery, 58, has since been charged by the Macon County State’s Attorney with aggravated battery, driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless driving. He is due to appear in Macon County Circuit Court Friday.

Blue Mound Police said officers had been called to the The Finish Line bar in Macon after 12 a.m. Sept. 4 to investigate a battery that had just happened.

The affidavit said Damery had been asked to leave the bar by a 64-year-old man because of his behavior toward the women who were present.

“When (the man) asked Rocky to leave, the two ended up on the floor where (the man) was hit by Rocky, causing a severe bloody nose and abrasions to his outer nose and eye,” said Officer Clayton Graven, who signed the affidavit.

“(The man’s) eyeglasses were also damaged.”

Graven said he had been on his way to the bar when he was given a description of a silver-colored sports car the assailant was driving. The officer said he saw a silver Mustang heading toward Blue Mound at high speed while weaving over the road, and gave chase.

Graven said he stopped the car and Damery climbed out and appeared unsteady on his feet. “I gave verbal commands for the driver to show hands and drop to his knees,” said Graven. “At approximately 1:04 a.m. I advised dispatch that I had Rocky Damery in custody.”

Damery was released from the Macon County Jail later the same day after posting a $500 bond on bail set at $5,000. His bail conditions forbid him to return to The Finish Line.

Joseph A. Williams faces preliminary charges of aggravated resisting a peace officer, obstruction of justice, possession of machine gun and weapon by a felon, aggravated discharge of a weapon and unlawful use of weapon, and attempted murder of a peace officer in connection with the shooting of a Decatur police officer on Jan. 8, 2022. READ MORE

William A. Hosea faces preliminary charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and endangering the life of a child in connection with the Jan. 6 shooting of a 3-year-old child. READ MORE

Randolph Hayes is pleading not guilty to a charge of burglary. Prosecutors allege he stole a landline phone and then tried to sell it back to the victim. He was on parole at the time after having been convicted of an earlier burglary offense. 

Byron D. Theus Jr. is pleading not guilty to multiple counts of home invasion, armed robbery and aggravated kidnapping in connection with a home invasion the night of Nov. 20, 2018. READ MORE

Jetrevius O. Jarrett has been arrested on first-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal Christmas Eve shooting of Efrem O. Jones. READ MORE

Phillip J. Gehrken, 52, of Forsyth has pleaded not guilty to three alternate counts of first degree murder stemming from the July 11 fatal shooting of 51-year-old victim Kevin Cooper. READ THE STORY HERE.

Emmanuel White, 18, is charged in Moultrie County with two counts of armed violence, possession of a stolen firearm, unlawful possession of a stolen/converted motor vehicle, possession of methamphetamine and defacing identification marks on a firearm. READ THE STORY

Defendant was sentenced to 36 months probation in November after pleading guilty to possession of a stolen firearm in a plea deal that saw all other charges dismissed. He was also sentenced to 149 days in jail with credit for 149 days already served.   

Aaron L. Hand, 33, was sentenced to 14 years in prison Jan. 20 after pleading guilty to a charge of committing aggravated kidnapping while armed with a knife. The case dates to Jan. 13, 2021, when Hand, a registered sex predator, tried to abduct a female customer of the Macon gas station where he was then working. 

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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