A bartender at a Sebring bar pleaded not guilty to assault after allegedly throwing tomatoes at the establishment’s owner and punching him during a dispute.
Robin Harper, 56, of Beloit, faces the misdemeanor charge following the alleged incident on June 12 at the Oregon Pub on East Oregon Avenue. According to Sebring Police Department reports, the bar’s owner, Mathew Biechler, reported that Harper threw tomatoes at him, struck him, and shoved him into bar stools.
Police noted in the report that surveillance video footage appears to confirm the alleged victim’s account. The footage showed Harper throwing tomatoes at Biechler and throwing a beer bottle into the bar, which narrowly missed a customer, according to the police report. The video also captured Harper punching Biechler in the face and pushing him into the seating area. A witness present at the scene also confirmed seeing the thrown objects and the physical altercation…