McCalls Tavern Employee on life support

[bachfan]

Does anyone know what altercation happened Sunday night in SS outside McCalls that ended up with one of their employees being airlifted to Ocala and is on life support.

[Baboon]

Unfortunately, he passed away yesterday afternoon. He was one of the nicest people I've ever known. May God rest his soul.

I am told four men that had been seen in a vehicle speeding around the area and doing donuts in the bowling alley parking lot earlier that night attacked him near toojays. The four claimed self defense and were released by police.

[rubicon]

This is not good . How do 4 guys claim self defense against one other guy????? Prepare for another knock against The Villages which they claim is already the 3rd most stressed city in the nation

[Allegiance]

I hope there are cameras that can find out what happened exactly.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920AZ using Tapatalk

[Taltarzac725]

Unfortunately, he passed away yesterday afternoon. He was one of the nicest people I've ever known. May God rest his soul.

I am told four men that had been seen in a vehicle speeding around the area and doing donuts in the bowling alley parking lot earlier that night attacked him near toojays. The four claimed self defense and were released by police.

Let's wait and see what the criminal investigation shows.

[Deec153]

He was hit on the back if his head defending girlfriend's honor.

[bachfan]

I wonder if he knew these people or if it was a random attack. Sad and scary either way.

[Taltarzac725]

Wait for reliable information about this. Not sense spreading rumors unless there is a police report or some other credible source.

[bagboy]

Wait for reliable information about this. Not sense spreading rumors unless there is a police report or some other credible source.

Absolutely !!!

[whatsgood]

He's still alive, just on life support.
A full criminal investigation is ongoing so no new information can be released, just rumors.

[2BNTV]

Just what I read in the DS. How sad. :(

[TVMayor]

He's still alive, just on life support.
A full criminal investigation is ongoing so no new information can be released, just rumors.

Just on life support, or just alive?

[N44125]

Any update?

[TVMayor]

From the Daily Commercial

By Tom McNiff tom.mcniff@dailycommercial.com | 0 comments

THE VILLAGES � A Leesburg man died Tuesday, two days after a fight in a parking lot off the Spanish Springs town square in The Villages left him bloodied, broken and unconscious.

Friends of Austin Stevens, 26, say his injuries were bad, but by the time paramedics took him to the hospital he was awake and speaking, albeit somewhat incoherently. His roommate and friend, Travis Jackson, said Stevens died Tuesday from bleeding on the brain.

"The doctors said the trauma was so severe because it was simultaneously in the back of the head and the front," Jackson said Thursday. "His cheekbones were broken, he was all cut up."

Lady Lake police are investigating but as of Thursday had not made any arrests, although officials acknowledged they know who is "responsible."

While police did not release any details of the fight, a friend and co-worker of Stevens believes the culprits were four young men who had been riding around Spanish Springs Sunday night harassing locals.

Kristen Hunt said Stevens, a bartender at McCall's, was closing up around 10 p.m. while she and Stevens' girlfriend waited for him outside.

She said four young men in a white minivan rode by taunting them and calling them names. They mentioned it to Stevens when he emerged from McCall's and said he walked off a moment later. A short time after, Hunt noticed a commotion in a nearby parking lot and saw people streaming from a nearby restaurant toward the melee.

Hunt ran over and found Stevens laying on his back, his face badly bruised and blood streaming from his mouth and nose. He was unconscious.

She said three of the four young men from the van were standing there.

"They said Austin came up and started hitting them," she said, "but they had no marks on them. Then they said the guy who hit Austin ran away."

Hunt said police arrived and questioned the young men. They also questioned her but did not take her contact information to follow up. She said after a while, they determined that Stevens was the aggressor and let the young men go.

Paramedics, meanwhile, were tending to the badly injured Stevens. Hunt said he could not tell them who the president was or even tell them the present year.

Jackson, Stevens' roommate, said he visited Stevens Tuesday in the hospital, but then the injured man took a turn for the worse and died.

"When I left the hospital Tuesday, one of the first calls I made was to the police department to let them know they had a murder on their hands," he said.

While it is not clear if anyone witnessed the altercation, Stevens' friends say it is unlikely he was the aggressor, as police initially claimed.

"I guess he went to see what was going on, not to fight them, because he wasn't like that," Jackson said.

Hunt agreed, saying Stevens had a firm but gentle way of dealing with unruly patrons at McCall's, and she doubts he started the fight.

"Do I see him walking up to them and starting to swing? No," she said.

Stevens leaves behind a 6-year-old son.

Leesburg man dies after fight at Spanish Springs in The Villages - Daily Commercial: News (http://www.dailycommercial.com/news/article_b4d61664-b0cc-5f00-bccc-555b824fa8a0.html)

[Taltarzac725]

From the Daily Commercial



Leesburg man dies after fight at Spanish Springs in The Villages - Daily Commercial: News (http://www.dailycommercial.com/news/article_b4d61664-b0cc-5f00-bccc-555b824fa8a0.html)

Tragic story. Any more mention of the 4th youth from the van?

[Happinow]

This is a sad and scary event. My anger is rising after the article reported the thugs said he was the aggressor and the police believed them?? How could anyone in their right mind think they could take on 4 men at once and win? From what was said about this young mans demeanor and character, it doesnt sound like he would be the aggressor. Could it have something to do with him being a bar tender and these thugs had a bone to pick with him about something that happened in the bar?? Something doesnt add up. But if these thugs get away with this then i would certainly feel uneasy about them possibly attacking one of us.....just for something to do. There seems to be a lot of bad things that happen in that square and in the 441 area in general. Its scary. My heart goes out to this young mans friends and family.

[DonH57]

Very sad indeed.

[Taltarzac725]

This is a sad and scary event. My anger is rising after the article reported the thugs said he was the aggressor and the police believed them?? How could anyone in their right mind think they could take on 4 men at once and win? From what was said about this young mans demeanor and character, it doesnt sound like he would be the aggressor. Could it have something to do with him being a bar tender and these thugs had a bone to pick with him about something that happened in the bar?? Something doesnt add up. But if these thugs get away with this then i would certainly feel uneasy about them possibly attacking one of us.....just for something to do. There seems to be a lot of bad things that happen in that square and in the 441 area in general. Its scary. My heart goes out to this young mans friends and family.

It sounds like there was a fourth person in the van that MIGHT be the aggressor. This is just speculative. The fists of the youths should have shown if they were in a fight recently.

[TVMayor]

Per �The Villages Daily Sun� June 10 page A14�

�Travis Jackson Austin's roommate, Austin Stevens went to confront a group of men after learning they had harassed his girlfriend, who had come to pick Stevens up after work.�

[graciegirl]

Whoever "they" are and no matter the reason, "they" killed him.

It sounds to me like young men looking for trouble, maybe had been drinking and smoking, and were looking to start something. That "something" has pretty much ended their lives as they knew them. They will find them.

[Taltarzac725]

Whoever "they" are and no matter the reason, "they" killed him.

It sounds to me like young men looking for trouble, maybe had been drinking and smoking, and were looking to start something. That "something" has pretty much ended their lives as they knew them. They will find them.

The police spoke to three of the young men so they know who they are. The fourth man is my question. I suppose they would have got a name for this man as well.

These investigations sometimes take time and you should want the police to be as thorough as possible so they have the right person or persons held accountable. Also so that a defense lawyer cannot poke holes in the case.

[NECHFalcon68]

Is this now considered a "homicide" within the Villages? Whether charges are brought, or whether anyone is convicted, the fact is that a death occurred on Villages property due to an action by someone else....
Just saying....

[TVMayor]

After reading this I was ready to hang 4 guys. I wanted to volunteer as an impartial juror. But then my extensive legal background kicked in. My legal education includes 2 seasons of �The Good Wife�. If man �A� confronts group �W, X, Y, & Z� and �A & Z� have a fight, �A� dies as a result of the fight with �Z� and the only witness are �W, X, & Y� 3 supposed innocent bystanders to testify to �Z� innocents, they will say it was selfdefence, I see no case. I just know the police are looking for a witness for the prosecution �a security camera�, or how about a shy citizen who to this point did not want to get involved? If you seen something say something.

[Taltarzac725]

After reading this I was ready to hang 4 guys. I wanted to volunteer as an impartial juror. But then my extensive legal background kicked in. My legal education includes 2 seasons of “The Good Wife”. If man “A” confronts group “W, X, Y, & Z” and “A & Z” have a fight, “A” dies as a result of the fight with “Z” and the only witness are “W, X, & Y” 3 supposed innocent bystanders to testify to “Z” innocents, they will say it was selfdefence, I see no case. I just know the police are looking for a witness for the prosecution “a security camera”, or how about a shy citizen who to this point did not want to get involved? If you seen something say something.

Actually the autopsy would help with how the blows were administered and the like. If he was kicked in the back of the head while down that would probably indicate an intent to kill the man. We do not have much to go on here. It is under investigation.

They basically just teach you to think critically in law school while covering the Black Letter Law (cases and statutes in force in some area of the law which change over time). I earned my JD from a Top Twenty Law School back in 1989. The University of Minnesota. Still one of the top public law schools.

It does sound like a homicide detective is looking into this matter. Whether there is enough to build a case; that is another matter.

[carm310]

This is senseless and heartbreaking.

Teens arrested in fatal attack on
McCall's employee at Spanish Springs
Two 19-year-olds have been arrested in the fatal attack Sunday night
in Spanish Springs of an employee of McCall's Tavern.

[villagetinker]

The 'other online source' had this as the leads story, headline indicated 2 arrested, but then the site crashed, and I cannot get back on it.

[carm310]

The 'other online source' had this as the leads story, headline indicated 2 arrested, but then the site crashed, and I cannot get back on it.

Same thing happened to me, I couldn't get back on it either.

[NECHFalcon68]

Just got a "breaking news" email...two teenagers turned themselves in and were arrested. One charged with manslaughter for hitting the victim, ($5000 bond) the other with felony battery who apparently kicked him while down.

[circletrack]

Is this now considered a "homicide" within the Villages? Whether charges are brought, or whether anyone is convicted, the fact is that a death occurred on Villages property due to an action by someone else....
Just saying....

This is not the the first (possible) homicide in The Villages.
A man is currently on death row stemming from a 2006 killing.

[Allegiance]

Two teens charged in death of bartender in The Villages - Orlando Sentinel (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/lake/os-austin-stevens-dead-20160610-story.html)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920AZ using Tapatalk

[Bogie Shooter]

Is this now considered a "homicide" within the Villages? Whether charges are brought, or whether anyone is convicted, the fact is that a death occurred on Villages property due to an action by someone else....
Just saying....

This is not the the first (possible) homicide in The Villages.
A man is currently on death row stemming from a 2006 killing.

What difference does it make?

[NECHFalcon68]

What difference does it make?

None to me...but it may make a difference to someone like the naysayers, who look for opportunities to burst the Bubble.

[BritParrothead]

That poor man, just going about his business, doing his job.
A man in my town was killed in the same way a few years back. The killer got 15 years. Not long enough.

[rubicon]

There are six known people affected by this tragedy the victim, the 4 men involved and the victim's girlfriend. so now we multiply that by the number of family and friends and a whole lot of people's lives have been altered forever. All because of foolishness and probably all because alcohol or drugs or both had been involved. This is the American nightmare This is why those involved in the mfg distribution and selling of drugs ought to pay a heavier penalty than are getting now. Its why legalizing drugs is a foolish endeavor

[graciegirl]

There are six known people affected by this tragedy the victim, the 4 men involved and the victim's girlfriend. so now we multiply that by the number of family and friends and a whole lot of people's lives have been altered forever. All because of foolishness and probably all because alcohol or drugs or both had been involved. This is the American nightmare This is why those involved in the mfg distribution and selling of drugs ought to pay a heavier penalty than are getting now. Its why legalizing drugs is a foolish endeavor

Well said.

[Taltarzac725]

There is a short article about the arrests and some more information about the families of the victims in The Villages Daily Sun. It is by Leah Schwarting.

"Victim" is often defining too tightly IMHO in the various criminal statutes as many more people are affected by violent crimes like this than just the person physically harmed as well as his or her immediate family.

Not sure if any drugs or alcohol were involved though. This just might be a case of young road rage or some kind of gang mentality that you see when teens and sometimes older people run together in packs. I got out of one of these kind of groups when I was about 13 or 14 after one of them members pointed a BB gun at my eye. I convinced him to try shooting between my fingers instead. He missed and put a BB into my left pinky finger. He was not drunk just psychotic in a way when he did this. I left this group of teens soon afterwards becoming kind of a loner who loved books. Not the right kind if books though until Mrs. Barbara Mitchell came along at Earl Wooster High School in Reno. Nevada. She got me reading the Classics and many other books.

I did have to avoid a friend in college who sometimes would do stupid things for kicks and he was in his early 30s. He got knifed about six times in the chest area while trying to pick up a woman at a bar near a whorehouse. The jealous husband got off with a very light sentence. But, my friend continued chasing married women. Not sure what drove him to keep tempting fate like after. He had been dead for about six minutes after the near fatal stabbing. They brought him back I guess on the way to the hospital. I am a little foggy about the exact details.

[outlaw]

None to me...but it may make a difference to someone like the naysayers, who look for opportunities to burst the Bubble.

labelling posters naysayers:
"But the root of all evil in forum�indeed the poison in the soul of internet discourse�is not bad words or telling people off. It�s arguing by imputing motivations, otherwise known as ad hominem argument. A special variation of the last kind is that employed by all self-professed �positive� people who �don�t like all the negativity out there.� They�ll call anyone that disagrees with them a naysayer, and they�ll proclaim how they don�t listen to or otherwise suffer �negative energy.�

to burst someone's bubble:
to destroy someone's illusion or delusion; to destroy someone's fantasy. I hate to burst your bubble, but Columbus did not discover Canada. Even if you think I am being foolish, please don't burst my bubble.

[graciegirl]

labelling posters naysayers:
"But the root of all evil in forum�indeed the poison in the soul of internet discourse�is not bad words or telling people off. It�s arguing by imputing motivations, otherwise known as ad hominem argument. A special variation of the last kind is that employed by all self-professed �positive� people who �don�t like all the negativity out there.� They�ll call anyone that disagrees with them a naysayer, and they�ll proclaim how they don�t listen to or otherwise suffer �negative energy.�

to burst someone's bubble:
to destroy someone's illusion or delusion; to destroy someone's fantasy. I hate to burst your bubble, but Columbus did not discover Canada. Even if you think I am being foolish, please don't burst my bubble.


Well said.

For me it is often how the message is delivered. Kind of like...."I never have liked you. now I must tell you for your own good, your health you know, that you are fat. You ought to see your backside, people are discussing it. For your own good you should go on a diet or stay home."

All of that may be true, but it just isn't delivered well and tends to **** people off. Don'tcha know?

You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, if catching flies is your goal.

[Goober III]

From what I've read, the victim was apparently sucker-punched from behind, fell, and his head hit the concrete (Google "Knockout Game" for more on this tactic). While down, the victim was apparently kicked in the face. Then he was taken to The Villages "Hospital." No wonder he died. The two assailants reportedly turned themselves in to police.

About ten years ago we started seeing teens skateboarding in the parking lots and squares. I thought then, "We need more police."

If we don't get better protection now, I hate to think what will be next.

[Mleeja]

From what I've read, the victim was apparently sucker-punched from behind, fell, and his head hit the concrete (Google "Knockout Game" for more on this tactic). While down, the victim was apparently kicked in the face. Then he was taken to The Villages "Hospital." No wonder he died. The two assailants reportedly turned themselves in to police.

About ten years ago we started seeing teens skateboarding in the parking lots and squares. I thought then, "We need more police."

If we don't get better protection now, I hate to think what will be next.

You were doing good until the stupid statement in bold. In the comments section on the other on-line news source there is a very good description of the reason this man was taken to Ocala.
The Villages Hospital is not a Trauma One hospital. The Villages Hospital recognized the guy needed medical care provided by a trauma center and sent him there by helicopter. What more would you expect them to do?

[Bogie Shooter]

Naysayer, example.

[NECHFalcon68]

labelling posters naysayers:
"But the root of all evil in forum�indeed the poison in the soul of internet discourse�is not bad words or telling people off. It�s arguing by imputing motivations, otherwise known as ad hominem argument. A special variation of the last kind is that employed by all self-professed �positive� people who �don�t like all the negativity out there.� They�ll call anyone that disagrees with them a naysayer, and they�ll proclaim how they don�t listen to or otherwise suffer �negative energy.�

to burst someone's bubble:
to destroy someone's illusion or delusion; to destroy someone's fantasy. I hate to burst your bubble, but Columbus did not discover Canada. Even if you think I am being foolish, please don't burst my bubble.

Wow. Thanks for the research. I was referring to the articles (from outside the Villages) that I have read that attack the lifestyle. BTW many residents refer to the "The Bubble" not as a fantasy but as a metaphor...

Geez. Fuggedaboutit.

[NECHFalcon68]

Naysayer, example.

See above

[Taltarzac725]

I like being in the bubble.

Crime does happen in the bubble but it is relatively rare.

This is a very tragic situation of the bartender at McCalls. That what he was I gather from reading the various articles.

Teens charged in fatal attack of Lake County man | Local News - WESH Home (http://www.wesh.com/news/teens-charged-in-fatal-attack-of-lake-county-man/40000100)