Orleans Parish Sheriff David Hale's mugshot.
David Hale is accused of punching Andy Dick, knocking him out cold, outside of One Eyed Jacks in the French Quarter of New Orleans on August 10.
Hale, 46, was arrested and booked at the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office on the morning of August 14, according to online records. Those records show that Hale is accused of second-degree battery and simple battery.
A second-degree battery charge can fetch up to eight years in prison while a simple battery charge can carry a maximum of six months in prison. At the time of writing, no bail has been set for Hale.
A source told NOLA.com that Hale told authorities that he became incensed after Dick grabbed Hale’s genitals and winked at the suspect. While a rep for Dick said, “Hale doesn’t have a straight story. He’s told several different stories.” Speaking to Heavy, reps for Dick said that among the stories Hale is alleging is that Dick once dated Hale’s sister and that Dick owes Hale money going back ten years. Dick’s rep stated, “Andy has never met Hale.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Hale Is a Friend of the Drummer of the Band that Opened for Andy Dick
According to One Eyed Jacks’ website, Dick had been performing with The Unnaturals plus Breaux Jackson and Vedas, on the night he was attacked. On Hale’s Facebook page, he makes reference to being friends with The Unnaturals’ drummer, Bill Heintz.
Representatives for Dick told Heavy that Hale is also close with Jen Attaway from The Unnaturals. Hale had been on Attaway’s guest list on the night of the assault. Dick’s rep said via email, “The two have been friends for years. Hale even claims she is his sister and that is how some people know them as brother and sister.”
Dick’s rep went on to say that Attaway is “infuriated” with Hale following the incident.
The band describes themselves as a “New Orleans instrumental surf-rock trio, with elements of rockabilly, swing, punk, metal, and even classical.”
2. Dick Can Be Seen Appearing to Hit His Head After Being Punched
Surveillance video from WWL-TV showed someone coming from behind Dick, 53, and knocking him to the ground with a single punch outside of the club along Toulouse Street at around 2:20 a.m. The video then shows the man pick up a beer bottle and escape from the scene. In the chaos, a woman can be seen tripping him up as he escapes. Dick’s head can be seen to hit something by the wall of the club before he collapses to the ground.
GettyDick pictured in May 2016.
At the time of the punch, Dick had been signing autographs and posing for photos alongside musician Paris Dylan. Speaking to WVUE in New Orleans, Dick’s booking agent, Robert Couvillion, said, “When Andy got knocked out, he was out for 15 minutes on the ground. We thought he was dead. Then, when he did get up, he thought he was in LA. He was unresponsive, his eyes were swimming in his head and it was really bad. Extremely scary, we were in fear for his life.”
Couvillion told the station that after a few nights in a local hospital, Dick flew home to Los Angeles.
Dick said that he was “knocked out 100 percent for 15 minutes.” The controversial comedian was rushed to a local hospital where he was treated for bleeding on his brain.
Facebook/David Hale
NOLA.com reports that Hale’s friends identified him as the suspect to Dick’s camp shortly after the incident. The same report says that Hale allegedly punched another man at the scene.
Dick has said that he does not know what provoked the attack. The New Orleans Police Department has spoken with Dick about the incident.
3. Hale Is a Former Horse Jockey
Facebook/David HaleDa
According to Hale’s Facebook page, he was formerly a jockey at the New Orleans Fairgrounds between 1988 and 1996. A profile on Hale’s statistics as a jockey show that he earned over $110,000 during his career. Hale won 18 of his 327 races, finishing second on 24 occasions and third on 23 occasions.
On his Facebook page, Hale goes by the nickname Tyger. According to a LinkedIn page for Tyger Hale, he has been a writer for the music website, LouderThanHell, since Jule 2013. The profile photo for that page shows Hale playing the drums.
4. Hale Said He Is Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America Something the School Says Is Not True
An online profile for Hale says that he is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. A spokesperson for the school said that Hale is not a graduate of the institute. That bio says that Hale is a 20-year resident of New Orleans. At the time of the profile, Hale had been working in a New Orleans-themed restaurant in Tampa, Florida, Roux Tampa.
Roux Tampa is described as “Creole Nouvelle cuisine. Roux respects the iconic centuries-old restaurants of the French Quarter, and draws inspiration from the post-Katrina kitchens of the “New Nola.”” In a bio on Roux Tampa’s website, Hale’s signature dish is listed as being Snapper Oscar & Oysters & Caviar Hale. That profile says that, “Chef David Hale created some spectacular dishes on the whim, for an extraordinary pop-up event, on one of his visits to Tampa… Chef Hale’s flavor styles range from Sushi to Creole.” When contacted by Heavy.com, an employee at Roux Tampa said that Hale no longer worked there.
5. Hale Is the Owner of a Crawfish Catering Company
Hale is the owner and operator of Killer NOLA Crawfish and Catering, according to his Facebook page. At the time of writing, the Facebook page for Killer NOLA Crawfish and Catering has been deleted.
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