Witnesses: Man Who Died In Alexandria Fight Threw The First Punch
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Police say several witnesses to the fatal weekend park fight in Alexandria reported that the man who died threw the first punch before getting hit once in the face.
The witnesses to the Sunday morning scuffle told police that 31-year-old Jeffrey Preston approached a group of people at Legion Park, began yelling and threw punches at one of the men there for no apparent reason.
Preston, of Park Rapids, was unknown to all in the group, witnesses said.
Preston eventually hit 19-year-old Kenneth Diaz of Alexandria, witnesses told police, after Diaz repeatedly told Preston to leave and walked backwards to deescalate the situation.
After being hit, however, Diaz punched Preston in the face and he fell down. Witnesses called authorities immediately, police say.
When officers arrived to the park, they found Preston with head trauma. The witnesses also reported that Preston appeared to have been seizing.
Officers arrested Diaz, and he was brought to the Douglas County Jail for questioning. He was later released, pending further investigation.
All witnesses identified as being at the scene have cooperated with authorities, police say.
Any other witnesses are asked to call Alexandria Police Department at 320-763-6631.
