USA Today reported that on January 26th, the District Attorney of Nashville released a statement concerning the recent arrest of Chris Young. DA Glenn Funk said, “After a review of all the evidence in this case, the office of the District Attorney has determined that these charges will be dismissed.”
On the evening of January 22nd, Chris was detained in Nashville by agents from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC). This followed an alleged incident at the Dawg House Saloon on Demonbreun Street.
During this incident, the agents alleged that Chris behaved in a disorderly manner and resisted arrest. An agent also claimed that Chris had physically confronted him when he attempted to leave the Dawg House Saloon.
Chris was charged with three misdemeanors. NBC affiliate WSMV in Nashville reported on Chris’ arrest after obtaining a copy of the affidavit.
According to the arrest affidavit, the agents first encountered Chris and his friends at the popular Tin Roof live music establishment next to the Dawg House. Agents entered the Tin Roof at approximately 8:30 pm on Monday. They claimed that Chris had his ID in his hand above his head, and the agents scanned Chris’ ID for accuracy before they walked away.
At this point, the agents claimed that Chris “started asking questions.” The agents then claimed that Chris and several friends followed them into the Dawg House Saloon. The affidavit stated that officers also did a compliance check at the Dawg House.
Agents alleged that Chris got physical with them when they attempted to leave the Dawg House Saloon. One agent alleged that Chris tried to stop him from leaving the bar and allegedly struck the agent on the shoulder. The affidavit also alleged that Chris had slurred speech and bloodshot, watery eyes.
Chris Young’s Attorney Bill Disputed the Charges
After the alleged confrontation, Chris was detained by the agents and handcuffed. He was later released on bonds totaling $2,500 for the three misdemeanor charges. According to USA Today, Chris was scheduled to appear in court on February 16th until Glenn Funk formally dropped the charges on January 26th.
Bill Ramsey is Chris’ attorney. On Wednesday, January 24th, Bill released a statement about the alleged incident two days earlier.
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Bill’s statement, shared by the Los Angeles Times, stated Chris should never have been arrested. He claimed that what happened to Chris on January 22nd was wrong. Chris’ lawyer also said that the Tennessee ABC should apologize to Chris for any “physical, emotional and professional harm” done to him.
Bill also released video footage that appeared to clear Chris of any wrongdoing, according to the LA Times. This footage was taken at the Dawg House on the evening of Monday, January 22nd, and includes several angles of the inside of the Saloon. While portions of the video footage show Chris and the agents, none of the footage released by Bill shows the altercation that allegedly took place.
A part of the footage showed Chris reaching out to an agent, but then the agent appeared to shove Chris. Chris then appeared to lose his footing and was shown tripping over a barstool and falling to the ground. He got up, put his arms out to his side, and backed away from the agent.
All of the footage released by Bill appears to show that the alleged incident never took place.
The Tennessee ABC Agents Were Not in “Obvious Uniforms”
NewsChannel 5 in Nashville obtained security video footage from the Dawg House Saloon. Billboard shared that NewsChannel 5 reporter Nick Beres also shared the footage on his verified Facebook account.
Nick also explained on Facebook why Chris had questioned the agents when they approached him at the Tin Roof. He learned this detail from reading Bill’s statement about Chris’ allegedly false arrest.
According to Bill, Chris questioned the agents at the Tin Roof because he wanted to confirm the identity of men asking to see his ID. Since the agents weren’t “in obvious uniforms,” Chris wanted proof that the men really were agents with the Tennessee ABC.
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Bill also thanked DA Glenn Funk in his statement on January 26th. He said, “Mr. Young and I are gratified with the DA’s decision clearing him of the charges and any wrongdoing.”
Now that his name has been cleared, Chris can go forward with new music. His album, “Young Love & Saturday Nights,” will be released on March 22nd.
