Jun 27, 2016 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – A Washington County man was arrested Friday night for allegedly wielding a knife during a fight outside a Waynesburg residence.

Waynesburg police said they responded to 174 W. Elm St., for the report of a knife fight, and when they arrived on the scene, they saw a shirtless Prestin Robert Beton walking away from a crowd gathered in the street.

Officer Jorel Hanley said when he responded to the scene, he drew his gun and told Beton to get on the ground, but he refused, according to court documents. Hanley said he kicked Beton to get him on the ground and handcuffed him.

Five witnesses told the officer Beton and a woman were standing on the sidewalk when a “male juvenile with a mental disability” yelled something to the woman. Beton, 29, then took his shirt off “as an intimidation factor” and approached Christopher Wooten, an adult man who was with the juvenile, according to court documents. The two men fought and afterwards, Beton revealed a knife.

Witnesses told officers when Beton heard police sirens, he threw the knife, which was later recovered by police.

The witnesses told Hanley Beton got into his car and backed up onto the sidewalk, nearly striking two juveniles.

Beton told investigators the fight began when a man drove by and yelled sexually explicit things to the woman he was standing with on the sidewalk. Beton told police he got in his car, drove a block and saw in his mirror a man with his arm around the woman’s throat, dragging her across the road, according to the complaint.

Beton of 320 W. Grant St., Houston, was charged with two counts of simple assault, disorderly conduct, recklessly endangering another person and resisting arrest. He is being held at Greene County jail on $20,000 bail while awaiting his July 7 preliminary hearing. No one else involved in the altercation has been charged.