Zachary Scott Taylor, 21, of Athens, Alabama, United States, Chance Marcus Alan Starling, 20, of Toney, Alabama and William Joseph Vinson Jr., 20, of Harvest, Alabama were at the Rock the South music festival at York Farms in Cullman, Alabama on the evening of July 22, 2023. Headlining the concert that night was Chris Stapleton, 45.
Also attending the concert that night was Reid Watts, 18, of Bessemer, Alabama. He was with his girlfriend Katie Hudgins and several friends.
In the middle of the concert, Watts was physically attacked by Taylor, Starling and Vinson .Watts told WBMA, “Some dude said I was spilling beer on him or something along those things and then I talked to him because I didn’t have a drink on me at the time, like I didn’t have anything.”
“I talked to him and shook his hand because I thought everything was okay because I explained to him it wasn’t me,” Watts continued. “Then a few minutes later, I was walking back and got hit in the back of the head then I hit the ground and tried to cover my face then I got knocked out and that was really all I remember.”
Chris Brown of Nashville, Tennessee, USA and his girlfriend witnessed the attack. She used her phone to film the attack while he stepped in to help Watts, who was immediately rushed to the hospital.
Watts had a fractured nose, concussion, stitches and knots on the back of his head. He has been recovering at home after being released from the hospital.
Rock the South organizers offered a $10,000 reward and lifetime tickets for information that would lead to the arrests of Watts’ attackers. On July 25, 2023, warrants for Taylor, Vinson and Starling’s arrests were issued.
On July 26, 2023, the Cullman Police Department announced the arrests of Taylor, Vinson and Starling. They were each charged with second-degree assault and have all bonded out.
CONAN Daily 