A Federal Hill bouncer caught on a viral video putting a man in a chokehold outside Cross Street Public House pleaded guilty today to first-degree assault in Baltimore Circuit Court. Under the plea agreement, he will serve three years of supervised probation with additional conditions, and both prosecutors and defense attorneys say no further jail time is expected. The case, which raced across social feeds last fall, has since fueled civil lawsuits and fresh debate over accountability for private security in Baltimore’s nightlife district.
According to The Banner, 42-year-old Kevin Weaver entered the guilty plea as part of a deal that requires him to complete anger-management classes and abstain from drugs and alcohol while serving his three years of supervised probation. The agreement credits roughly five months Weaver spent in the Metropolitan Transition Center after he turned himself in last October and was entered before Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry G. Williams. Outside the courtroom, Weaver’s father, Bob Lessick, told reporters he was “glad the case is over,” according to the outlet.
The confrontation unfolded on Sept. 27, 2025, on the unit block of East Cross Street outside Cross Street Public House and was captured in a roughly 51-second clip that quickly spread online, drawing millions of views, according to CBS Baltimore. Local court filings and news coverage identify the man placed in the chokehold as Cameron Barnes, who, his attorneys say, was diagnosed with a concussion and later filed a civil lawsuit naming Weaver, the security firm, and the bar. WBAL has reported on Barnes’ medical treatment and the legal claims in detail…