A Buffalo man who damaged another man’s eye four years ago during an attack in a supermarket has admitted beating him with a club last summer after threatening to damage his other eye.
Reginald Pierce, 56, of Phyllis Avenue, pleaded guilty this week to second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon as jury selection was set to begin for his trial, according to Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III.
Sedita said Pierce came out of his girlfriend’s home on Phyllis the evening of June 22 and started insulting neighbors who were out on the street.
Pierce then started insulting a 65-year-old neighbor he had assaulted in 2010 at a supermarket, an attack that led to an assault conviction and jail sentence for Pierce.
“I took your one eye already, I’m going to take your other one next,” he told the neighbor, according to Sedita.
Pierce returned to his girlfriend’s house and came out moments later when the neighbor turned to go back into his house. Armed with a 3-foot-long club, Pierce hit him in the head, arm and leg, shattering the victim’s forearm and cutting his head.
When the victim managed to take the club from Pierce, Pierce ran back into his girlfriend’s house where Buffalo police arrested him minutes later.
Sedita said it was Pierce’s third assault conviction in a long campaign of hostility and aggression toward his neighbors.
“No one should be bullied in their own neighborhood,” Sedita said. “And ... cowardly attacks on defenseless and unsuspecting neighbors cannot go unpunished.”
Assistant District Attorney Ryan Haggerty said Pierce had moved into the neighborhood a few years ago and offered to work as a handyman for neighbors, but neighbors rejected his offers, leading to Pierce’s animosity toward them.
Pierce faces up to seven years in prison when he is sentenced June 17 by State Supreme Court Justice Christopher J. Burns.
email: citydesk@buffnews.com
Reginald Pierce, 56, of Phyllis Avenue, pleaded guilty this week to second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon as jury selection was set to begin for his trial, according to Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III.
Sedita said Pierce came out of his girlfriend’s home on Phyllis the evening of June 22 and started insulting neighbors who were out on the street.
Pierce then started insulting a 65-year-old neighbor he had assaulted in 2010 at a supermarket, an attack that led to an assault conviction and jail sentence for Pierce.
“I took your one eye already, I’m going to take your other one next,” he told the neighbor, according to Sedita.
Pierce returned to his girlfriend’s house and came out moments later when the neighbor turned to go back into his house. Armed with a 3-foot-long club, Pierce hit him in the head, arm and leg, shattering the victim’s forearm and cutting his head.
When the victim managed to take the club from Pierce, Pierce ran back into his girlfriend’s house where Buffalo police arrested him minutes later.
Sedita said it was Pierce’s third assault conviction in a long campaign of hostility and aggression toward his neighbors.
“No one should be bullied in their own neighborhood,” Sedita said. “And ... cowardly attacks on defenseless and unsuspecting neighbors cannot go unpunished.”
Assistant District Attorney Ryan Haggerty said Pierce had moved into the neighborhood a few years ago and offered to work as a handyman for neighbors, but neighbors rejected his offers, leading to Pierce’s animosity toward them.
Pierce faces up to seven years in prison when he is sentenced June 17 by State Supreme Court Justice Christopher J. Burns.
email: citydesk@buffnews.com