Cullman Police arrest three in Rock the South assault case

Benjamin Bullard, The Cullman Times, Ala.
Updated ·3 min read

Jul. 26—After fielding thousands of tips once the case had gone viral across social media, Cullman police have arrested three north Alabama men in connection with a July 22 assault captured on video inside the Rock the South country music festival venue.

At a press conference Wednesday, Cullman Police Chief David Nassetta said William Joseph Vinson Jr., 20, of Harvest; Zachary Scott Taylor, 21, of Athens; and Chance Marcus Alan Starling, 20, of Toney all had been arrested and charged with 2nd degree assault, a Class C felony. The three men were taken into custody by Cullman police Tuesday afternoon, with assistance from the sheriff's offices of Madison and Limestone counties.

All three men have since posted bond, said Nassetta. Cullman District Attorney Champ Crocker assured Wednesday that each suspect's case will be presented to a Cullman County Grand Jury, with state criminal statute prescribing a potential prison term ranging from 366 days to 10 years for conviction on a 2nd degree assault charge.

Rock the South co-owner and producer Nathan Ball thanked law enforcement, festival fans, and social media followers for sharing resources to bring arrests in the case.

"Like you, we were absolutely disgusted and appalled at the cowardly actions of a few individuals at our festival last weekend," said Ball, noting that this year's festival marked the "largest crowd we've ever had, with the fewest amount of arrests. "I want to emphasize wholeheartedly," he added, "that this behavior is neither widespread nor common at any of our events."

The three suspects are accused of taking part in what appears on video to be an impromptu attack on 18-year-old concertgoer Reid Watts, who was left unconscious and subsequently transported to Cullman Regional hospital for treatment. Cautioning that the investigation is ongoing, Nassetta affirmed Wednesday that the attack appeared to have been arbitrary in nature, adding that Watts has since been discharged from the hospital and continues to recover from his injuries.

The assault went viral after video of the incident was shared Sunday on social media, alongside a plea from the victim's mother for help in identifying the alleged attackers.

Nassetta acknowledged at Wednesday's press conference the role online followers had played in helping achieve Tuesday's arrests. "That was a big, big factor," he said. "...The victim did not know them [the alleged attackers], and the witnesses we had didn't know them, so it was really an important part of the puzzle for people to be able to look at the video and say, 'Yeah, I know those guys.'"

In a post to its Facebook page announcing the arrests Wednesday, the Cullman Police Department thanked Sgt. Trey Higginbotham for his work on the case, as well as the Cullman County District Attorney's Office, the Madison County Sheriff's Office, the Limestone County Sheriff's Office, the Huntsville Police Department, and the Metro Area Crime Center.

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.