Former Deep Ellum Bartender Austin Shuffield found guilty of assault
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A Dallas County jury has found Austin Sheffield guilty of obstruction and assault.
The former bartender was indicted on two felony and two misdemeanor charges for assaulting L'Daijohnique Lee, 27, in a parking lot in 2019.
Lee said the night of the assault, she had pulled into a parking lot that night and blocked Shuffield in as he was trying to leave. He got out of his truck to asked her to move but after his approach, the two began arguing.
In a cell phone video, captured by a witness across the street, Shuffield was seen holding a gun by his side during part of the argument. At some point Shuffield knocked Lee's cell phone out of her hand and she reacted by hitting him. Shuffield responded by punching Lee in the jaw and then hit her four more times in the face and head.
The incident made national headlines after police initially only charged Lee for breaking his truck's rear window following their argument.
Lawyers for Shuffield had argued the incident was not a hate crime and insisted that he did not make a racial slur toward Lee.
However, Lee and her attorneys have said otherwise.
Shuffield was initially arrested and released. The case was later handed over to a special prosecutor for presentation to a grand jury.
According to a prosecutor, Shuffield faces up to 10 years in prison for the more serious charge of obstruction. Alternatively, he could walk away with probation.