Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON— A Reno County jury in the case against a Kansas man arrested on March 6 on some serious charges came back with a mixed verdict.
The jury got the case against Chauncey Brownfield, 34, Hutchinson, around 2:20 p.m. Wednesday and came back with a “guilty verdict” on the charge of aggravated battery, but were “hung” on the charge of aggravated robbery.
According to police, the victim was at a local motel at 14 West 4th Street and said Brownfield attacked him and that he took an iPhone 6 plus cell phone by force.
Brownfield was asked to leave the motel and wanted his money back.
He became angry and struck the victim, breaking his face, according to Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell.
The victim testified he suffered a fracture of the eye socket and a permanent scar.
The defense downplayed the seriousness of the injury to the victim, telling the jury it would be similar to a broken nose or broken toe.
Attorney John Henderson also argued that his client didn’t intend to take the phone, in fact repeated to police that he didn’t know he even had it.
But, police used the phone’s location to track down Brownfield. He was found hiding in a bathroom at K-Mart.
With the jury hung on the one charge, Maxwell says he has not decided if he’ll prosecute him again on the aggravated robbery charge.
Brownfield has additional charges facing him in Salina.
Brownfield was recently charged involving a 2014 shooting incident at a Salina apartment complex.
Officers were sent to the Chapel Ridge Apartments on May 11, 2014 and found a 42-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound.
The man told police that Brownfield knocked on the door of his apartment and attempted to rob him.
Brownfield did not take any of the victim’s property, but allegedly shot him in the groin area before leaving the apartment.
Brownfield was arrested on a warrant charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, battery, criminal threat and attempted first-degree murder.
Sentencing on the aggravated battery charge is scheduled for be on December 11.