A lawyer allegedly walked into a South Carolina bowling alley and tried to put his girlfriend in a chokehold, prompting a female bystander to beat him up before he was later arrested, authorities say.
Pano Michael DuPree, 58, now faces assault and battery charges in connection with the incident, which played out at Ashley Lanes in Charleston on March 19.
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Witnesses told police that the man walked into the bowling alley, approached his girlfriend and “started placing his arms around her neck from behind, trying to place her in a chokehold,” according to a police report obtained by local media.
An unidentified female bystander then walked up to the suspect and punched him in the face, the police report says. The suspect fell to the ground and tore out some his girlfriend’s hair as he went down, witnesses said. He was still on the ground when police arrived.
DuPree was taken to hospital for treatment, then arrested on a charge of third-degree assault and battery, the Post and Courier newspaper reports.
DuPree’s mugshot shows him with injuries to his face, including a black eye.
He was released on March 20 on a $1,087 bond.
The heroic bystander remains anonymous, and there was no indication that she’s facing any charges.
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DuPree specializes in criminal and personal injury law, according to his website. The site describes him as a “well-respected attorney” with more than 30 years of experience.
The bowling alley incident isn’t DuPree’s first brush with the wrong side of the law. He was suspended from practicing law for nine months after he allegedly punched a Utah state trooper in the mouth in 2012, local broadcaster WCBD reports.
He was also arrested in connection with a fight at a hotel in 2003, the Post and Courier reports. The case was later dismissed.
DuPree is due in court on May 5.