Bottle Throwing and Bar Fight in La Plata on New Year’s Eve Leads to Arrest for Two Men

January 8, 2019

Garry Phillip Queen Jr, 41 of Waldorf, and Timothy Ross Thomas, 34 of Colonial Beach

On Tuesday, January 1, 2019, at approximately 1:30 a.m. Troopers from the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack, responded to Vinos Liquor Store in La Plata for the report of a fight in progress. The caller stated a large group of patrons were actually fighting and throwing bottles.

When troopers arrived on scene, the fight had already ended and the parties involved were already separated from one another. One of the liquor store employees pointed out to police a black male subject, later identified as Gary Phillip Queen Jr, 41 of Waldorf, who was supposedly involved in the fight.

Queen told police that he was at the bar with his wife when he was randomly assaulted by a group of black males. Queen stated that he was “sucker punched” and bottles were thrown at his wife for no reason.

Police asked Queen who was responsible for the assault and he pointed to a heavy-set black male, later identified as Timothy Ross Thomas, 34 of Colonial Beach, who was sitting on the pool table.

Thomas told police that Queen was arguing with the bartender, yelling, cursing, and agitating other customers at the bar. Thomas stated that he walked over to Queen to talk to him and to get try to get him to calm down and that he started arguing with Queen because he was rude to him (Thomas).

While police were speaking with Thomas a white male came out of the manager’s office with gauze wrapped around his head and blood covering his head and face. It was learned that the male had been struck in the head with one of the liquor bottles that were thrown across the bar. EMT personnel were notified of the male’s injuries and responded to the scene.

Police viewed the security camera footage and were able to see that Queen was the reason the whole fight started. Both Thomas and Queen made several attempts to approach each other, but other patrons kept continued to separate them. During the shoving and yelling, Queen inadvertently bumped into Thomas’ wife which infuriated Thomas even more than before.

During this altercation a black female approaches Queen and strikes him in the face. At approximately 1:26 a.m. Thomas grabbed a cup of water and threw it at Queen. Thomas then grabbed a beer bottle off the bar counter and threw it across the bar in Thomas’s direction. The white male was standing between Thomas and Queen and was struck by the bottle.

It was also learned during the investigation that Thomas and the white male were acquaintances and Thomas had hit the male accidentally with the beer bottle as he was aiming at another individual.

Thomas was arrested and charged with affray and assault-first degree. He was released a short while later on a $25,000 bond and is due in district court on January 29, 2019.

Queen was arrested and charged with affray, disorderly conduct, and public intoxication. He was released a short while later on his own recognizance and is due in district court on March 12, 2019.