Arizona man arrested after alleged fight with two Fulton men

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

A 65-year-old Arizona man was arrested Sunday by a Bourbon County Sheriff's deputy after he allegedly got into a fight with two Fulton men and stole a truck owned by one of the men.

Dennis J. Russell, of Lake Havasu, Ariz., was arrested in connection with aggravated battery, aggravated assault, felony theft, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass. He is currently in custody at the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center.

Details about exactly what happened haven't been disclosed as yet. Deputy Sheriff John Taylor, who investigated the incident, is still working on the criminal report. As of Tuesday, the Bourbon County Attorney's Office hasn't filed formal charges against Russell.

Around 2 p.m., deputies responded to a disturbance on Eighth St., between Cedar and Spruce streets in Fulton.

The two victims' names were not provided due to the circumstances of the supposed crime. The victims, at this point in the investigation, told law enforcement officials that they do not want their identities disclosed.

Taylor said the two alleged victims, ages 42 and 52, got into a "heated discussion" with Russell, who allegedly tried to gain entry into the house. He never made it inside.

A physical fight ensued among the three men, Taylor said, and one of the victims suffered minor injuries. No one was transported to the hospital.

The two men detained Russell until the deputies arrived and took him into custody.

Russell is alleged to have stolen a 1999 Chevrolet truck belonging to one of the victims at some point during the incident. The truck sustained damage, allegedly from that incident.

Taylor said the suspect didn't know the two men, who were not related to one another.

"The suspect was a stranger to the two victims," Taylor said.