BETTENDORF — Amante Higgins-Bey, a 19-year-old from East Moline, was charged with multiple felonies after allegedly swinging a metal bat at two victims during a large brawl at McManus Park in Bettendorf, Iowa, on Thursday night. He remained jailed Sunday in Scott County Jail on a cash-only $10,000 bond.
Higgins-Bey faces two felony counts of willful injury causing serious injury, one felony charge of participation in a riot, and two aggravated misdemeanor charges of assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, according to Scott County Court arrest affidavits. Officers were dispatched Thursday night to the emergency room at UnityPoint Bettendorf, where they identified two victims with serious injuries to their heads and eyes, including bruising, contusions, and lacerations.
Court documents state, "It appeared they had been struck in the head multiple times with a blunt weapon. The victims had serious injuries to their heads and complaints of memory loss." The victims told authorities they had been involved in a large fight at McManus Park.
Arrest affidavits say officers interviewed witnesses and obtained a cell phone recording of the incident. The video showed 15 to 20 individuals assembled together "in a violent manner participating in a brawl," according to court records. In the recording, Higgins-Bey is identified as "swinging a metal bat at both victims and striking them in the head multiple times," and "is seen running to the victims, striking them in the head and laughing." Police said in affidavits that Higgins-Bey "used a dangerous weapon to commit an assault on the victims" and that he had "clear intent to use the dangerous weapon to inflict serious injuries."
Higgins-Bey admitted to being at the park at the time of the incident, according to police. No additional suspects have been charged in connection with the brawl as of Sunday.