ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — New details have emerged after the release of the criminal complaint detailing a late-night brawl that left one man dead and another facing homicide charges.
Corey Lopez, 34, was arrested after police were called to the area of the Kettle Inn shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 4. According to charging documents, police arrived to find Lopez sitting in the Fefi’s parking lot across the street while Dunn was found lying in the middle of the road, unresponsive. Lopez allegedly approached police while they were detaining his girlfriend and shoved an officer with enough force to make his body camera fall off. Police noted that Dunn is the uncle of Lopez’s girlfriend.
Officers quickly took Lopez to the ground and put him in handcuffs. Through the investigation, along with statements from numerous witnesses and victims, police determined that a fight broke out between the girlfriend and her uncle’s wife. According to the affidavit of probable cause, Lopez came out of the bar and while James and another man were trying to separate the women. The other man pulled Lopez away from the girls. Lopez allegedly started to assault the man, wanting to fight. Dunn stood between Lopez and the man as others joined to try and separate the two men. Lopez, however, was able to deliver a “sucker punch” to the man, according to charges.
Police noted the security footage from the Inn showed Lopez and Dunn fall to the ground. Lopez got back to his feet, but Dunn remained unresponsive. The man and his wife tried to render aid to Dunn. According to the complaint, Lopez took the opportunity to kick the man in the face.
According to charges, the man then pulled out a gun and shot it in the air to get Lopez to back off.
Police said they spoke to the man’s wife, who allegedly claimed she witnessed Lopez coming after the man, saying, “I want some of you big boy.” She also told police Lopez smacked her in the face at one point.
It was noted that multiple people claimed they witnessed Lopez striking Dunn, including Lopez’s girlfriend, who police alleged later changed her story after Dunn was declared dead at UPMC.
According to police, Lopez claimed he could only remember certain details due to drinking that night and said he was only trying to defend himself and his girlfriend. Lopez also claimed he didn’t remember shoving an officer. Lopez alleged that hitting Dunn was an accident, and there were a lot of people, and he was “throwing fists.”
Police added that Lopez is a boxer out of an Altoona gym and has a 2018 conviction for aggravated assault after “sucker punching” his victim, then beating him with closed fists, leaving them hospitalized.