Three Charged In Assault Leaving Man Unconscious

Three Crawford County men have been charged in an assault that reportedly left a victim unconscious, along with a bloodied eye and a broken jaw.

Joshua Bridgeman, Cuba; Terry Copling, Steelville; and Jared Blunier, Steelville, face one count of first-degree assault.

Warrants have been issued for their arrests.

The assault allegedly occurred July 16, 2023 outside The Rose in Cuba.

According to the probable cause statement, the victim saw one of the witnesses, whose name has been redacted, talking to a group of men. The victim walked over and asked if everything was okay.

The group reportedly took offense. The victim shook hands with Copling, but the others tried to provoke a fight. The victim said he tried to leave the bar with two witnesses without incident.

When he got to his vehicle, the victim said Copling and Bridgeman assaulted him to the point of unconsciousness. The last thing the victim recalled was waking up to one of the witnesses cleaning his wounds.

The witness to the assault told police that the trio of men began advancing on the victim. The witness set her purse down and a “blonde female” began shoving her. After that, the witness described seeing the men kick, stomp and punch the victim. 

The victim’s eye was so bloodied the witness wasn’t sure if it was still intact.

The victim went to the hospital after the assault and was treated for a broken jaw.

The other subject that was with the victim did not see the assault as she stayed inside the bar. She told police she had heard that Bridgeman and Blunier were responsible.

The subject also said Blunier had been at The Rose days prior to law enforcement contacting her. The subject told police that Blunier allegedly confessed to only punching the victim once.

Police put together a photo lineup on Oct. 4, 2023. The victim and the witness to the assault identified Copling, Bridgeman and Blunier as the attackers. The witness said Blunier was present, but unsure if he was involved.