Four days after an incident at a Nashville bar, charges brought against country singer Chris Young have been dropped.
Chris Young was detained Monday night (Jan. 22) at Midtown Nashville’s DawgHouse Saloon. He was taken to jail and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assaulting an officer.
The 38-year-old singer was enjoying a drink at Tin Roof bar when agents from the Tennessee Alcohol Beverage Commission entered to conduct a compliance check. The arrest affidavit states that Young and his friends initially cooperated but began to film the agents and followed them to the DawgHouse Saloon next door.
The situation quickly deteriorated when Young attempted to stop one of the agents to ask a question.
“While walking out the door Mr. Young put his hands out to stop me from leaving the bar and struck me on the shoulder,” the affidavit said. “I then pushed Mr. Young to create distance since I had no idea of who Mr. Young was or what he had.”
Video of the incident that led to Chris Young’s arrest was released the next day.
Surveillance footage from the incident was released the following day and painted a different picture than the story the public was led to believe.
The footage shows Chris and his friends enter the bar and wait to talk to the agents. While the singer did reach out to get the agent’s attention, he did not strike him as the report indicated. The agent reacted by shoving Chris, knocking him to the ground.
Bar patrons were seen coming to Young’s defense as he stood up with his hands in the air, backing up as if to put distance between himself and the agents.
The outcry from fans was almost immediate when the video was made public. Many agreed that the charges against the star weren’t warranted and agreed that the charges should be dropped.
The three misdemeanor charges against Chris Young were dropped late Friday.
Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk announced Friday that after reviewing the evidence, he chose to dismiss all charges.
Young’s attorney, Bill Ramsey, issued a statement in response to the news, saying, “Mr. Young and I are gratified with the DA’s decision clearing him of the charges and any wrong-doing.”
The TABC also issued a statement after news of the District Attorney’s decision.
“We respect General Funk’s decision to drop the charges against Mr. Young. All law enforcement and first responders deserve to be safe while on duty. For your safety and theirs, we ask the public to not make physical contact or interfere with officers while they are working.”
Chris Young hasn’t spoken publicly about the incident.