A rural Mountain Home man who picked up new charges stemming from an alleged altercation even before an existing case involving violence could be closed appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
In his new case, 44-year-old Chris Allen Brim is charged with 1st and 2nd degree battery for an alleged attack on two men.
Brim, who is being represented by Ben Burnett, entered a not guilty plea to his newest charges and was ordered to reappear September 22.
The two male victims had been involved in a pool tournament at the Rusty Rail Saloon on July 24. They told investigators that the tournament wrapped up a bout 2 a.m. and the two were walking toward Foster’s apartment located next to the Rusty Rail.
He indicated to investigators he was not clear on exactly what happened, but said he was struck by a blunt object and knocked unconscious.
Foster advised he woke up hours later on the front porch of his apartment. He said he contacted his daughter and she came to the apartment and took him to Baxter Health.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Foster had a long, deep laceration on his head starting near the hairline and ending at his right eye.
Foster received six stitches to the inside of the laceration, and nine stitches to the outside of the laceration.
A Baxter County sheriff’s deputy contacted Brim on July 25 and served him with an active warrant stemming from another altercation with Foster at the Rusty Rail. Brim was reported to have nearly bitten one of Foster’s fingers off during the earlier altercation.
Brim contacted Foster’s daughter and asked her how her father was doing. She reported yelling at Brim telling him he had “almost killed” Foster and that he “was going to jail.”
Brim is reported to have asked that before he went to jail if the daughter would be willing to come clean his house and perform a sex act on him. The daughter said she hung up.
When he was interviewed, Brim denied playing any part in the attack on Foster and Carter.
An investigator told him about the phone call he is alleged to have had with Foster’s daughter and that the investigator had a recording of the conversation.
The investigator asked Brim is if a subpoena was served on his carrier if it would show that he had been at home during the incident at the Rusty Rail Saloon. Brim is reported to have replied, “I reckon.”
The phone was taken as evidence. A search warrant was sent to the carrier to determine the location of the phone at the time of the attack.
Carter, the second victim of the attack, was questioned and he said about 2 a.m. he had been walking with Foster from the Rusty Rail to Foster’s apartment next door.
He said two men – including Brim – approached them “quickly” as they were near the front porch of the apartment. Carter said he was knocked unconscious “instantly.”
He told investigators that when he woke up, it was daylight and he was lying in the gravel in front of Foster’s apartment. Carter said he saw Foster on the porch of the apartment “beaten badly and bleeding from his head.”
After a warrant was issued for Brim, a search for him began and took investigators to Brim’s residence and to the Rusty Rail Saloon. He was not found in either place.
As the lawmen were traveling to Salesville to check another location, they saw Brim in a white Dodge Ram pickup truck.
Brim was stopped just over the bridge at Norfork. As he was being placed in handcuffs, Brim is reported to have asked why he was being arrested.
When he was told 1st and 2nd degree battery, he is alleged to have said, “that’s not right, I didn’t even touch Carter.”
Brim was taken to the Baxter County Detention Center. His bond on the new charge was set at $50,000.
EXISTING CASE
In an existing criminal case, Brim is charged with barging uninvited into a female’s home where he is alleged to have broken items of personal property and punched a wall.
Brim was arrested and charged with residential burglary, criminal mischief and endangering the welfare of a minor.
In an earlier session of court, Brim pled not guilty to the charges against him. Mountain Home attorney Ben Burnett entered his appearance in the case July 8.
The female victim said the altercation started on the night of June 7 at another location. She said she and her sister were at the Rusty Rail Saloon in Norfork when Brim started messaging and calling her repeatedly.
The two women talked about leaving the bar fearing Brim would show up and “cause an altercation.”
A short time later Brim did show up. He yelled at the two women and was reported to have thrown chairs and other items.
The women told a Baxter County sheriff’s deputy that they left the bar and went to their Firestone Lane residence, Brim was reported to have showed up at the residence as well. He came inside the house without permission and refused to leave when told to do so by one of the victims.
The victims told Brim there was a young child on the couch, but he reportedly continued to yell and scream and, at one point, punched a wall.
He was also said to have broken a China dining set valued at $1,200 and threw the pieces around the house.
Brim then walked outside and began to rip down flowerpots and, according to the victims, ate some of the flowers.
The victims who remained in the house said they heard banging on the walls and when they looked out, they saw Brim throwing rocks at the residence.
In the initial case, Brim was free on $25,000 bond and has been ordered not to have any contact with the victims.
He has been arrested in the past for participating in violent altercations. His charges in various cases have included being a felon in possession of a weapon, commercial burglary, aggravated assault and terroristic threatening.
In 2022, according to court records, two people petitioned to have orders of protection issued to keep Brim away from them.
The first criminal case on Brim was opened in 1999 and he shows to have been booked into the Baxter County Detention Center 35 times.
The state is asking that Brim be sentenced under provisions of the Habitual Criminal Act which can extend any sentence he receives on his current charges.
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