Man Assaulted Bar Owner, Kicked Dog: Middletown Police

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A Berlin man is accused of assaulting a bar owner, three employees and a dog last week in Middletown, according to police.

Police responded to Eli Cannon’s at 695 Main St. around 8:25 p.m. on May 4 on the report of an assault. Dispatchers were told that four workers at the bar were actively restraining the suspect in the alley next to the business, according to the police report.

Arriving officers found three men holding the suspect down on the ground. The suspect, identified as Jesse J. Tomlin, was actively trying to fight with the men, according to police.

The owner of Eli Cannon’s told police he was assaulted by Tomlin and saw him kicking a dog, according to the police report. The victim had injuries to his lower lip, police said.

An animal control officer took custody of the dog, according to police.

Police said Tomlin “continued to be aggressive and uncooperative.”

Police also wrote in the report that Tomlin was intoxicated and made “constant attempts to start physical confrontations.”

Tomlin, 39, of Langdon Court, was charged with three counts of third-degree assault and one count each of cruelty to animals, second-degree breach of peace and failure to fingerprint. He was released after posting a $2,500 bond with a court date of May 24, according to state judicial records.

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