Cops probe West Chester fight that left man in hospital

WEST CHESTER » Borough police are investigating an early-morning fight that left a man hospitalized with serious head trauma.

Authorities say the man is listed in critical condition after suffering serious head trauma when he was punched in the face at 2:55 a.m., in the 50 block of East Gay Street.

A suspect has not been identified. No motive for the fight has yet been determined.

Police have posted a video of the alleged assault on the department’s Facebook site and say that two “persons of interest” who were not involved were identified because of subsequent tips.

The post attracted more than 118 shares.

West Chester Police Det. Stan Billie said that social media is popular and has become a “very valuable” tool for police.

Billie said that the alleged assault appears to be an outright beating with no purpose.

Billie asked residents to be aware of their surroundings, and to consider that many thrown punches are alcohol-fueled.

The detective talked about the dangers of striking someone.

“They don’t think of the end result at the time,” he said.

West Chester Police recently released a video from a 7-Eleven surveillance camera on High Street that attracted national attention.

Police say suspect landscaper Barry Robert Baker Jr. sucker punched a disabled man in the early morning hours of May 10.

Baker, 29, was arrested after two weeks on the lam and charged with disorderly conduct and simple assault. He was wanted in Chester County on two warrants, in violation of probation on a theft charges and failure to pay child support.

SUBMITTED IMAGE Police in West Chester want to talk to the people involved in this fight that left a man seriously injured.