Mobile Man Charged After Brass Knuckles Assault at Public Safety Memorial Park
Christopher Jones, 33, was charged with second-degree assault and possession of brass knuckles after an altercation at Public Safety Memorial Park in Mobile Friday night.
A 33-year-old Mobile man is facing assault charges after police say he struck another man with brass knuckles during a fight at Public Safety Memorial Park on Friday night — a park named, with some irony, in honor of the city's fallen first responders. Christopher Jones was arrested and booked into Mobile County Metro Jail, where he was charged with second-degree assault and possession of brass knuckles, according to the Mobile Police Department.
What Officers Found
Officers responded to the park at approximately 8:39 p.m. Friday after a physical altercation between Jones and another man. The victim sustained minor injuries and refused medical treatment when officers arrived on scene. Police say Jones also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest stemming from a 2023 charge of running a stop sign.
About the Park
Public Safety Memorial Park is a City of Mobile park at 2301 Airport Boulevard, named in honor of the city's public safety personnel. The city lists a walking trail, skate park, playground, pavilions, a dog park and a splash pad among its amenities.
Why Brass Knuckles Are a Separate Charge
The second charge in this case is worth understanding, because it is not merely an add-on. Alabama law separately makes it a crime to carry brass knuckles concealed on one's person. Under Section 13A-11-53 of the Alabama Code, a conviction carries a fine of $50 to $500 and up to six months in the county jail.
Second-degree assault in Alabama is a Class C felony, and one of the ways an assault rises to the second degree is when the injury is caused by a "deadly weapon or dangerous instrument." The state criminal code's definition of a deadly weapon expressly includes metal knuckles. The combination is why an altercation that left a victim with minor injuries — injuries so minor the victim declined treatment — nonetheless produced a felony charge. The law treats the weapon itself as an aggravating factor that transforms what might otherwise be a misdemeanor assault into a felony carrying a potential sentence of one year and one day to ten years in a state correctional facility.
The Legal Process Ahead
Jones has been charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent unless and until the state proves its case in court. Felony cases in Mobile County generally begin in district court, where a defendant can ask for a preliminary hearing to test whether there is probable cause. Prosecutors may then present the case to a Mobile County grand jury; only an indictment moves a felony to circuit court for arraignment and, if no plea agreement is reached, trial.
