In a March 3 incident, law student Keenan Gay supposedly pushed Robert Kingston, 30, into the street outside Ed’s Tavern on Park Road and Ideal Way in the Dilworth area of Charlotte, NC and in front of a passing car, according to police reports.
Gay, 23, who is a student at Charlotte School of Law, has been charged with second-degree murder. He returned to law school on $100,000 bond and is awaiting trial.
Depending on who you talk to, the series of events that night differ substantially.
Police claim that Gay pushed Kingston into the street just before he was hit. Gay’s attorneys claim that Gay pushed Kingston outside the tavern, and that Kingston, in a drunken state, lurched in front of the car.
Gay and his friends were drinking beer at Ed’s, a regular place to visit at the end of the school week to have beer and burgers and play pool.
"It was supposed to be a good night," according to Gay, a graduate of UNC. "Carolina had just beat Duke at Duke."
"Oh my God. What just happened to me?" exclaimed the motorist who had just hit Kingston, in a call to 911. "I just ran over someone on Park Road. He just ran out right in front of me. . . ."
". . . .Apparently these guys are telling me now that somebody pushed this guy out in the road and it was right in front of me," the driver told 911. The 911 operator asked the motorist what the attacker looked like. After asking someone, the driver told the operator, "The guy who pushed him ran away. . . .A blond tall guy, about 6-foot3, 6-4. Carolina blue college shirt."
According to the Charlotte Observer, some witnesses at the tavern say that Kingston told his friends "Watch this." Kingston then grabbed Gay’s girlfriend’s buttocks and leaned in to kiss her. When she turned away, Gay approached Kingston. The rest is in dispute.
Much remains to be solved. Gay’s lawyers contend he pushed Kingston out the tavern door, but that was all. The police and prosecutor have not commented. The Observer said it could be a year or longer before a trial begins.
Sources:
If someone you love is arrested for murder or other violent charges, he or she will need an experienced and aggressive criminal defense attorney. North Carolina criminal defense attorney Curtis R. High offers highly skilled and committed defense representation to people throughout North Carolina.
Call 1-919-828-7626 to schedule a review of your case.