MOBILE, Ala. — A 63-year-old Mobile man is charged with second-degree assault after police say he struck another man in the face with a stick early Friday on Government Boulevard, leaving the victim with a severe cut.
Officers were sent to the 2500 block of Government Boulevard around 3 a.m. Friday, Sept. 25, after a report of a man walking in the road, according to the Mobile Police Department.
When they got there, officers found a man with a severe laceration to his face. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Police have not released his name or an update on his condition.
Eric Tate, 63, was arrested nearby and booked into Mobile County Metro Jail, police said. He has not been convicted and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Government Boulevard assault at a glance
- When: About 3 a.m. Friday, Sept. 25, 2026
- Where: 2500 block of Government Boulevard, Mobile
- Initial call: A man walking in the road
- Injury: A severe cut to the victim’s face; he was taken to a hospital
- Accused: Eric Tate, 63
- Charge: Second-degree assault
- Custody: Mobile County Metro Jail
What police say happened
The call that brought officers to Government Boulevard was not initially reported as an assault. Police said they were responding to a report of a man walking in the roadway in the middle of the night.
After finding the injured man, officers began investigating how he was hurt. During that investigation, they learned that another man had allegedly hit the victim in the face with a stick, according to the department.
Officers identified that man as Tate, and police said they found him nearby and arrested him.
Police have not said what led up to the confrontation, whether the two men knew each other or where exactly the alleged assault took place. They also have not described the stick or said whether it was recovered.
What second-degree assault means in Alabama
Alabama divides assault into three degrees, with first-degree assault the most serious.
Second-degree assault is a Class C felony. Under state law, the charge can apply in several situations. Among the most common is when a person, intending to cause physical injury to another, causes physical injury by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument. It can also apply when a person intends to cause serious physical injury and does so.
Alabama law defines a dangerous instrument broadly. It covers any object that, in the way it is used or threatened to be used, is highly capable of causing death or serious physical injury. That means an everyday object such as a stick, a brick or a tool can be treated as a dangerous instrument depending on how it is used.
A Class C felony in Alabama carries a possible sentence of one year and a day up to 10 years in prison, along with a fine of up to $15,000. The actual outcome of any case depends on the evidence, the defendant’s history and decisions made in court.
What happens next in the case
Because second-degree assault is a felony, Tate’s case is expected to begin in Mobile County District Court. A judge will address bond, and Tate will be entitled to a lawyer, including a court-appointed attorney if he cannot afford one.
A defendant in a felony case may ask for a preliminary hearing, where a judge decides whether there is probable cause to send the case to a grand jury. If a grand jury returns an indictment, the case moves to Mobile County Circuit Court for trial or another resolution, such as a plea agreement.
The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes felony cases in the county. Charges can be upgraded, reduced or dismissed as prosecutors review the evidence.
Part of a string of assault cases in Mobile
Friday’s arrest follows several other recent Mobile police cases in which people were hurt with everyday objects. Earlier this month, police investigated after a man was found with severe lacerations at Ryan Park, allegedly after being struck with a brick. In another case, a woman was charged after police said she hit a man with a hammer in the 1700 block of Butler Street.
Police have not suggested any connection between those cases and the Government Boulevard assault.
How to share information
Anyone who saw what happened on Government Boulevard early Friday, or who has other information about the case, can contact Mobile police:
- Call the Mobile Police Department: 251-208-7211
- Send an anonymous text tip: 844-251-0644
- Call 911 to report a crime in progress or an emergency
Drivers who see someone walking in a roadway at night, especially someone who appears hurt or disoriented, are encouraged to slow down, keep a safe distance and call 911 so officers or medics can check on the person.