Man charged in fatal Outlaws Saloon brawl posts bond

The man charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Jan. 31 brawl outside of Outlaws Saloon was released from the Muscogee County Jail Monday after posting bond.

James Eric Perkins posted the $25,000 bond prior to his preliminary hearing, which was set for 8 a.m. today in Columbus Recorder’s Court. The case was bound over to Superior Court.

Police responded Jan. 31to the 6499 Veterans Parkway bar after a fight erupted in the parking lot around 3 a.m. Marquis Brown, 23, of Phenix City was found unconscious and rushed him to Midtown Medical, where he was pronounced dead of blunt-force trauma later that day at 8 a.m., according to the Muscogee County Coroner’s Office.

Columbus Police Maj. Gil Slouchick said approximately 40 people witnessed the incident and at least a portion of the fight was caught on camera.

Authorities have yet to provide a detailed account of what led to Brown’s death but released a statement on Feb. 5 dispelling much of the “speculation” about how the father of two was killed.

“One version had Brown being stomped and kicked in the head while he was on the ground,” Police Sgt. Lance Deaton wrote. “Another had Brown being struck by a metal flashlight in the head, and still another had Brown being repeatedly struck in the head by a metal flashlight.

“None of these versions matched the physical evidence that the detectives were observing.”

Police said Brown’s body underwent an autopsy at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime lab in Atlanta that indicated the following:

• Brown’s head injury was ruled to be the type of wound that you would receive from your head striking a large, immovable flat object. This was determined by the type of external wound as well as the internal injuries to the front of Brown’s brain.
• There was no physical evidence that Brown was ever struck by a flashlight or any other metal object.
• There was no physical evidence that Brown was ever kicked or struck in the head.
• There was no physical evidence that Brown was ever choked or strangled.

Attorney Katonga Wright, who represents the victim’s family, said she felt compelled to order an independent autopsy, because the preliminary findings of that first autopsy were inconsistent with the widespread account that Brown was struck with a flashlight by a security guard with the bar.

Wright said the findings from that second report were more consistent with the account that Brown was struck with a flashlight but declined to comment further on the results until she has had an opportunity to review both official autopsy reports.

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 1:17 PM.