Charges Dismissed Against Royston Man in 2020 Fight with Kayakers

Charges have been dismissed against a Royston man in connection with a 2020 altercation with kayakers on the Broad River.

According to a report in the Athens Banner-Herald, Madison County Chief Superior Court Judge Jeffery S. Malcolm approved a motion in February to grant immunity from prosecution for 35-year-old Justin M. Bruce.

In the pre-trial hearing, Bruce’s attorney Mayes Davison said there was not enough evidence for charges to be brought against his client, based on testimony from multiple witnesses, and the Judge agreed.

Bruce faced a felony aggravated assault charge that stemmed from the May 9, 2020, incident that occurred at a take-out point for boaters along Roy Woods Road.

According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office incident report Bruce allegedly verbally and physically assaulted a group of six people, four of them University of Georgia students, as they were exiting the river after a day of kayaking.

The incident report said Bruce first began to harass one of the men in the group about his “man bun” hairstyle.

While the man shrugged the comment off, his brother intervened because he didn’t like the way Bruce was talking to his brother, according to the report.

Witnesses who were at the scene testified in February that Bruce did not throw the first punch, but the argument escalated into a fight.

Davison also noted that all parties involved had been drinking.

The incident report said Bruce also allegedly dragged a third student underwater and held them there for approximately 45 seconds.

But Davison said that account was inaccurate.

In his ruling, Judge Malcolm wrote, “The testimony was disputed as to whether the defendant was in the water, whether he held anyone underwater or whether he threatened to shoot anyone.

Malcolm also noted that Bruce had a broken nose, was hit in the head with a paddle, and at one point three men were fighting him while a woman used a paddle.

He said there were no injuries reported by the victims.

Malcolm ruled that “in light of the evidence at the pre-trial hearing and the credibility of the testimony, the court found the defendant, Bruce acted in reasonable belief that force was necessary to prevent bodily harm to himself.”