Stamford man who took bottle to gunfight gets two years prison

John Reese, 28, of Stamford, was sentenced on Monday to two years in jail for smashing a beer bottle over the head of a man who he said was about to shoot him outside a West Side club last October. John Reese, 28, of Stamford, was sentenced on Monday to two years in jail for smashing a beer bottle over the head of a man who he said was about to shoot him outside a West Side club last October. Photo: Stamford Police / Contributed Photo: Stamford Police / Contributed Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Stamford man who took bottle to gunfight gets two years prison 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

STAMFORD — A man who brought a beer bottle to a gunfight last October has been sentenced to two years in jail.

John Reese, 28, of Connecticut Avenue, pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree assault. Reese has been jailed since his arrest for the assault outside the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World club on Mission Street.

Reese made the plea under the Alford Doctrine where he disagreed with the state’s facts of the case, but believes he would have been convicted if the case went to trial.

Reese smashed a beer bottle over the head of Freddy Hicks, the accused gunman who has been charged with attempted first-degree assault and criminal possession of a firearm. Hicks has been accused of firing several shots that missed hitting Reese.

“My client, in fear of his life, took a bottle and smashed it over the head of Mr. Freddy Hicks,” Reese’s attorney, Howard Ehring, said. “He hit him thinking Mr. Hicks was going to take a shot at him. Mr. Reese ran, and Mr. Hicks did in fact take a shot at him.”

Ehring said Hicks complained to police that Reese “brought a beer bottle to a gunfight.”

Ehring said his client felt he had a strong self-defense claim, but decided to accept the plea agreement.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com;