Alcohol and Assault
A night out at a bar just north of downtown San Antonio nearly turned deadly in early January, according to KSAT.com News. Two suspects fired nearly 16 shots behind Bar Central, and officers said that it was a fight inside the bar that led to the shootings. According to KSAT, “an officer was parked across the street to keep an eye on the bar, which police said has had problems with violence in the past, when he heard shots.” Five people were taken in for questioning following the incident, and police told KSAT that they believe they have the perpetrators in custody.
No charges have been filed as of yet, and police hadn’t announced what the charges would be. No one was killed in the shootings, but one person was “grazed by a bullet and treated at the scene.” The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that “scientists and nonscientists alike have long recognized a two-way association between alcohol consumption and violent or aggressive behavior.” The institute reports that studies show that 37 percent of all assault offenders acted when under the influence of alcohol, and that 42 percent of violent crimes reported to police involved alcohol.
More than that, however, (51 percent) of victims interviewed said that they thought their perpetrator had been drinking at the time of the assault. There are several psychological reasons that alcohol can lead to aggression, according to the APA. because it disrupts normal brain functions by weakening “brain mechanisms that normally restrain impulsive behaviors.” Yet alcohol, of course, isn’t solely to blame for assaults within drinking establishments.
If you or someone you know has been injured because of an assault, whether alcohol was involved or not, you may be eligible for compensation.Don’t go through it alone. Contact an experienced New Braunfels personal injury attorney today.
