A well-known Huntsville entrepreneur faces two arrest warrants after an early morning incident during a party celebrating the first human to fly in space.

Chris Beaman, founder of New Leaf Digital. (newleafdigital.org)

Huntsville Police Lt. Stacy Bates confirms Chris Beaman, founder of New Leaf Digital and CoWorking Night, was involved in an altercation with a female April 23 on 2211 Seminole Drive S.E. Bates said he allegedly struck the victim, whose name has not been released, in the face with his fist.

An incident report issued Thursday to AL.com documents a third-degree assault involving a 28-year-old female shortly after midnight April 23 at Lowe Mill. Another victim, a 29-year-old woman who has not been identified, also filed a report April 23 for harassment, records show.

Bates said the harassment charge was later changed to third-degree assault.

"My understanding is the charge was upgraded because of visible injury, redness and swelling," he said. "It wasn't visible at time of report so it was made for harassment."

Alcohol was involved in both incidents, per the reports. Bates confirms there are two active third-degree misdemeanor assault warrants involving Beaman from April 23, but he has not been served.

If an officer encounters Beaman or he turns himself in, Bates said he will be able to bond out and receive a court date.

"He won't be arrested until an officer runs across him or he turns himself in," he said.

Beaman announced Wednesday on his Facebook page he was stepping down from his role at New Leaf Digital. He said he was returning home to Boston for a month to "visit with family, get some sleep, and return to a health-focused routine."

Toni Eberhart, Beaman's successor at New Leaf, issued a statement late Wednesday saying they asked Beaman to take a leave of absence from the nonprofit he founded after they learned about the incident and that alcohol was involved.

She said New Leaf's Board of Directors cannot and does not condone public intoxication within the organization, which provides "innovation services" to millennials.

"After Chris continued to work himself to exhaustion on (New Leaf) projects, all parties decided that it would be best for him to resign, which he did," she said. "In light of the legal issues he is now facing, we feel it's also for the best that he is no longer involved with the organization."

Yuri's Night, Huntsville's biggest space party, took place the evening of April 22. The annual event, which was sponsored by dealnews, was held at Lowe Mill but was not hosted by the privately-owned arts facility.

New Leaf said early Wednesday "the unexpected successes of New Leaf in its mission to provide entrepreneurial education and development events for millennials eventually created a very stressful situation for Chris."

Beaman's lack of sleep led to a "general deterioration in his wellbeing, which in turn led to some instabilities in his life," the nonprofit said.

"Most recently, these culminated in an unfortunate incident on the dance floor of a Lowe-Mill event Saturday, April 22," New Leaf said. The full statement is available here.

Beaman, who was jailed nearly 10 years ago for an assault that left his former girlfriend temporarily in a wheelchair, has not responded to requests for comment. It is unclear if he has an attorney.

Bates said a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in jail.

A story by The Boston Herald on May 4, 2008, details Beaman's prior run in with the law, including a conviction in an apparent "unprovoked attack" in 2007 on a Cambridge woman he was dating at the time. The newspaper said Beaman, a descendant of the prominent Bay State family, also allegedly pushed his mother down stairs at her home in Wellesley, Ma., in 2006.

Massachusetts Judge Maurice R. Flynn said in the article Beaman has a long history of violence, such as breaking a girl's arm in eighth grade, attacking a Colorado therapist and assaulting his younger brothers. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation also lists multiple arrests for assault, larceny, forgery, theft, marijuana possession, probation violations and contempt of court.

The Boston Herald story is archived and only available by paid download; however, the article is posted publicly on www.northeastshooters.com.

AL.com is following this story and will update as more details are available.