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Witness: Actor's X-Men role sparked S.D. bar brawl - USATODAY.com
Enlarge20th Century FoxActor Vinnie Jones, seen here portraying Juggernaut in the movie "XMen: The Last Stand," has been hospitalized and arrested in Sioux Falls, S.D., after a violent bar brawl.
By Josh Verges, Argus Leader
Hollywood actor Vinnie Jones was hospitalized and arrested after a Thursday night bar fight at Wiley's Tavern in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D.
Jones, 43, is a British former soccer player whose movie credits include Snatch, Gone in Sixty Seconds and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He also did voice-over work in Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties.
But the Sioux Falls, S.D., man Jones allegedly punched said it was his role as Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand, that sparked the fight.
Juan Barrera, 24, said his roommates were playing pool when Jones approached and asked to play. He said Jesse Bickett, 24, of Montrose told Jones he'd have to wait.
That's when one of Barrera's roommates asked Jones whether he was "that guy from X-Men."
"He got offended by that, and he started pushing my other friends around. He said he's been in so many other movies or whatever," Barrera told the Argus Leader.
Barrera went to the restroom, so he didn't see what happened next.
Sioux Falls Police Sgt. Tim Hagen said people were pushing and shoving when Jones charged at Bickett, who hit the actor in the face with a beer glass.
"He got the worst end of that deal," Hagen said, examining a police photograph of Jones' face.
Jones was known for his violence on the soccer field.
Police were called to the bar at 11:35 p.m. Thursday. They found Bickett outside the bar with cuts on his hand and arrested him for aggravated assault.
They later found Jones at Sanford USD Medical Center where he was treated for cuts to the face. He was charged with simple assault and posted bond Friday morning.
Police do not identify victims, but Barrera said he was the man Jones punched. He said he was exiting the restroom when he found Jones and Wiley's staff members coming the opposite direction.
"His whole face was covered in blood," Barrera said. "I just walked out the restroom, didn't say a word to him ... and he struck me in the mouth."
Barrera said he countered with one or two punches to Jones' face, then knocked him to the floor before Wiley's staff escorted Barrera outside.
Barrera said Minnehaha County Jail staff called him Friday morning to warn that Jones was free on bail.
Jones' manager, Alex Cole, had more questions than answers. He said Jones hasn't answered his phone calls, and his wife is worried about him.
Cole said Jones is on vacation, but he didn't know specifically what the actor was doing in Sioux Falls.
Barrera said someone who was with Jones at the bar said he was in Sioux Falls to hunt.
Jones' wife and manager aren't the only people who want to speak with the actor: Deb Bickett said Friday afternoon that her son just got out of surgery.
"He's got major hospital bills hanging over his head," she said. "He (Jones) doesn't want to run into me."
Bickett said her son told her, "It was definitely self-defense, Mom."
Neither man made a court appearance Friday, and no formal charges have been filed. The state's attorney's office said it has not yet received a report from police.
Josh Verges writes for the Argus Leader of South Dakota.
© Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
I just wanna know if he said "Do you know who I am?" "I'M THE JUGGERNAUT B****!"
Witness: Actor's X-Men role sparked S.D. bar brawlUpdated 2d 9h ago | Comments 48 | Recommend 16E-mail | Save | Print | 
Enlarge20th Century FoxActor Vinnie Jones, seen here portraying Juggernaut in the movie "XMen: The Last Stand," has been hospitalized and arrested in Sioux Falls, S.D., after a violent bar brawl.By Josh Verges, Argus Leader
Hollywood actor Vinnie Jones was hospitalized and arrested after a Thursday night bar fight at Wiley's Tavern in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D.
Jones, 43, is a British former soccer player whose movie credits include Snatch, Gone in Sixty Seconds and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He also did voice-over work in Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties.
But the Sioux Falls, S.D., man Jones allegedly punched said it was his role as Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand, that sparked the fight.
Juan Barrera, 24, said his roommates were playing pool when Jones approached and asked to play. He said Jesse Bickett, 24, of Montrose told Jones he'd have to wait.
That's when one of Barrera's roommates asked Jones whether he was "that guy from X-Men."
"He got offended by that, and he started pushing my other friends around. He said he's been in so many other movies or whatever," Barrera told the Argus Leader.
Barrera went to the restroom, so he didn't see what happened next.
Sioux Falls Police Sgt. Tim Hagen said people were pushing and shoving when Jones charged at Bickett, who hit the actor in the face with a beer glass.
"He got the worst end of that deal," Hagen said, examining a police photograph of Jones' face.
Jones was known for his violence on the soccer field.
Police were called to the bar at 11:35 p.m. Thursday. They found Bickett outside the bar with cuts on his hand and arrested him for aggravated assault.
They later found Jones at Sanford USD Medical Center where he was treated for cuts to the face. He was charged with simple assault and posted bond Friday morning.
Police do not identify victims, but Barrera said he was the man Jones punched. He said he was exiting the restroom when he found Jones and Wiley's staff members coming the opposite direction.
"His whole face was covered in blood," Barrera said. "I just walked out the restroom, didn't say a word to him ... and he struck me in the mouth."
Barrera said he countered with one or two punches to Jones' face, then knocked him to the floor before Wiley's staff escorted Barrera outside.
Barrera said Minnehaha County Jail staff called him Friday morning to warn that Jones was free on bail.
Jones' manager, Alex Cole, had more questions than answers. He said Jones hasn't answered his phone calls, and his wife is worried about him.
Cole said Jones is on vacation, but he didn't know specifically what the actor was doing in Sioux Falls.
Barrera said someone who was with Jones at the bar said he was in Sioux Falls to hunt.
Jones' wife and manager aren't the only people who want to speak with the actor: Deb Bickett said Friday afternoon that her son just got out of surgery.
"He's got major hospital bills hanging over his head," she said. "He (Jones) doesn't want to run into me."
Bickett said her son told her, "It was definitely self-defense, Mom."
Neither man made a court appearance Friday, and no formal charges have been filed. The state's attorney's office said it has not yet received a report from police.
Josh Verges writes for the Argus Leader of South Dakota.
© Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
I just wanna know if he said "Do you know who I am?" "I'M THE JUGGERNAUT B****!"
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