The V.I. Police Department on Friday arrested Brian E. Steele and charged him with third-degree assault after an incident in a Charlotte Amalie sports bar.
According to the report, at 6:30 p.m. Friday police received a complaint from the owner of 1-800 Sports Bar, who told officers he had been called to his business by his employees about a man behaving erratically in a a restricted area of the business. Arriving at the business, the owner, whose name was not released by police, approached the man later identified as Steele, who was behind the bar.
The owner said he asked what Steele was doing there, at which point the suspect held a machete and hand saw to his neck. The owner pulled away and drew his licensed firearm.
He told officers he ordered Steele to drop his weapons several times.
Steele did not comply, according to the report, and continued walking toward the owner, holding the machete in his hand. The owner of the bar said he feared for his life and fired a single gunshot, striking Steele.
Steele was taken into custody. The VIPD report gave no indication of his injury from the gunshot. the owner of the bar sustained a laceration to his left forefinger and the right side of his neck, and declined medical treatment.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the bureau at 340-7742211 ext. 5579 and 5557. They also can also contact 911, the St. Thomas/St. John District Police Chief’s office at 340-715-5548, the Commissioner of Police’s office at 340-715-5506. or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers V.I., at 1-800-222-8477.
