Fight Near West Des Moines Bar Sends Man to Hospital With Brain Hemorrhage

A Des Moines man was hospitalized in the intensive care unit after a fight early Friday morning left him with a brain hemorrhage and other internal injuries.

Ahmad Taha, 28, of 4010 University Ave., Des Moines, was charged with willful injury in the case.

The incident started at . When police arrived at 1:30 a.m., they found the 23-year-old man lying unconscious between  and . He had blood coming from his mouth and was taken to a nearby hospital by .

According to Officer Ryan Anderson’s report on file at the , witnesses gave different accounts of what happened. One man said the victim had asked him to arm wrestle, and when he declined, he approached a group of men leaving the bar.

The witness reported the victim was knocked unconscious by one of the men, but said “the punch did not seem very hard, but (the victim) struck his head really hard on the concrete when he fell,” according to Anderson’s report. He said the group of men left in a silver Chrysler 300.

was notified and Urbandale police stopped the vehicle with three suspects, including Taha, inside. Two of the witnesses to the alleged attack identified Taha as the man they’d seen involved in the altercation with the victim.

Taha denied any involvement in the fight.

Other witnesses reported that the victim had approached their group at Ultra 515 and asked one of the men if he was gay, according to Anderson’s report. The witness told Anderson the victim grabbed her friend by his arm “as an attempt to gain his attention, not to assault him,” and that’s when Taha stepped in shoved the victim.

The victim shoved back and the witness said she tried to step between the two subjects and break up the fight.

Taha reportedly hit the victim four times and he fell down after the fourth punch.

While he was being processed on the assault charge, Taha reportedly admitted to shoving the victim so he would stop bothering his group at the bar, but said he had not hit him.

“Taha said everyone was intoxicated, including himself,” Anderson wrote. “He said (the victim) fell because of his intoxication level.”