Arrest affidavits are shedding more light on the June 5 altercation at Spanish Springs Town Square that claimed the life of a McCall’s Tavern employee.
Four men in a white, late-model Chrysler mini-van had reportedly made comments to the girlfriend of 26-year-old Austin Stevens who had been working at the Spanish Springs restaurant. Stevens then went to confront the men who by this time had parked the mini-van and were walking around the square. At about 9:30 p.m., Stevens had gotten into an altercation with two of them when 19-year-old Brice Hall of Weirsdale ran at Stevens, striking him in the right side of the face. Stevens was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground. Hall then ran from the scene, according to the arrest affidavit. Witnesses said that’s when 18-year-old Nicholas Metcalfe of Belleview kicked an unconscious Stevens in the face and said, “You’re down, you’re out.”
Stevens died of a brain injury June 7 at Ocala Regional Medical Center.
According to an autopsy completed on June 9, Stevens suffered fractures to the right side of his face and the base right rear of the skull as well as multiple fractures to the nasal cavity.
The day after Stevens died, Hall admitted in an interview with Lady Lake police that he had struck Stevens and then ran from the scene. One of the men who had been in the van that night identified Metcalfe as having kicked Stevens in the face.
Hall is facing a charge of manslaughter. He is free on $10,000 bond.
Metcalfe is facing a charge of felony battery. He is free on $5,000 bond.
Hall and Metcalfe are due for arraignment July 5 in Lake County Court.
