Homeless Veteran Lucky to Still Be Alive After Being Beaten by Baseball Bats

Homeless veteran speaks out after being hit with baseball bats

ABC 7 NEWS

Deborah Kendrick

July 31, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. - One man is in police custody and another is at large after police say the men beat a homeless veteran over the weekend.  

Hankel Jones was charged over the weekend with armed criminal action and robbery in reference to this assault. 

Charles "Chuck" Harris told ABC 17 News he was beaten with baseball bats, which caused his right arm to break, bruised his face and left him unconscious for an hour. 

Harris told ABC 17 News he refused to buy Jones more alcohol. That's when Harris said Jones and another man beat him. 

"I wouldn't buy him more alcohol anymore, so they (men) doubled-teamed me against that wall," Harris said. 

He told ABC 17 News he's lucky to be alive. Harris lives in a campsite on North 8th Street, right next to Jones' residence. Harris said he and Jones always had a good relationship but stated Jones has mental issues that cause him to act irrationally.

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