Five white men accused of beating a Black man at a bar near Fort Wayne, Indiana, are expected to appear in court today on felony charges.
The attack, which occurred on May 30 at Pike’s Pub, left James Simmons hospitalized. Six men were initially arrested, but one, Kent Adamonis, had his charges dropped after proving he wasn’t involved.
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A widely shared video shows the moment Simmons was ambushed by a group of white men, with racial slurs heard repeatedly throughout the footage. The FBI is now involved in the investigation.
Authorities say five of the men were arrested either at their homes or workplaces, while one was found hiding at a remote lake property near the Indiana-Michigan border. The men—Jerrad Impton, Ryan Minick, Christopher Yoho, and Douglas Zuber, all from Fort Wayne, along with Justin Wert of Churubusco—face charges of felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury and felony criminal recklessness, according to Allen County Superior Court records.
Only records for Minick, 44, were publicly available. He remained in custody Monday without bond at the Allen County Jail.
Attempts to contact the defendants were unsuccessful, and it remains unclear whether any have secured legal representation. Jail records for the others could not be found.
Simmons has not made any public statements and has not responded to requests for comment.
Adamonis, the man cleared of charges, described the experience as devastating.
“I wasn’t there and I proved I wasn’t there,” he said. “The fight started at 11, and I was clearly asleep by then. They took me straight to jail.” He added that he now fears being publicly misidentified as a racist.
Allen County Sheriff Troy Hershberger credited the arrests to collaborative efforts across several jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies.
