Lima man gets 4 years prison for January bar fight

LIMA — A Lima resident charged in a January fight outside J’s American Pub that left a man with extensive facial fractures will spend four years in prison.

Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Terri Kohlrieser sentenced Donavan Denson, 22, to prison Wednesday afternoon on felonious assault, a second-degree felony. He will receive 201 days of jailtime credit.

Denson is the second of four individuals involved to be sentenced for the fight. Nicholas Williams received four years in prison for the incident. Janicqua Bailey, 23, did not show up for her sentencing hearing last Wednesday — the same day Tysheen Polk was arrested for the fight and evading arrest.

Kohlrieser said although he will spend time in prison for a serious crime, the fact that Denson showed up to the hearing and was respectful after Williams’ sentencing, and Bailey did not show up to her own sentencing will go a long way in Kohlrieser’s decisions regarding the case in the future. She said she will consider this and Denson’s behavior in prison in any judicial release requests.

The fight happened outside the bar on January 22 and left Bradin Fisher-Jones, 23, of Lima, with injuries that required helicopter transportation to a Toledo hospital for surgery.

Assistant Allen County Prosecutor Mariah Cunningham showed a video — that was also shown at Williams’ sentencing — in which Denson joined other individuals in attacking Fisher-Jones. Denson could be seen kicking Fisher-Jones repeatedly, many times in the head.

According to court documents, Lima police officers were dispatched to the bar in reference to a large fight after receiving a 911 call from Jordan Wehrly, who at the time was an off-duty patrolman with the Spencerville Police Department. Wehrly has since left that position.

Upon their arrival, officers found Fisher-Jones, whose face was covered in blood, outside the bar.

Denson’s lawyer, Andrea Henning, said Denson is a young man who made some “extremely poor decisions” due to drugs and alcohol he consumed the night of the fight. She said she believes he is better than his actions that night and has a strong support system in his friends and family — many of whom came to his sentencing.

Henning said Denson has “a lot going for him” and is a devoted father of three.

“I just really want to say I’m sorry, and you’re going to see better in the future from me,” Denson said.

Reach Jessica Orozco at 567-242-0398, by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @JessicaCOrozco.