James Woods was given extra time Tuesday to consider a plea deal in connection with the bar fight death of Rockwell John Flint. Woods will make his decision by April 1, when the offer expires.
The plea deal would acknowledge guilt for a charge of involuntary manslaughter death for Flint’s death and a simple assault charge related to another person from the bar. In exchange, prosecutors would drop his second-degree murder and felony assault charges.
Prosecutors believe Flint died trying to break up a fight between Woods and another man.
On Aug. 30, 2013, police responded to calls of a midnight bar brawl in the 2200 Block of 18th Street Northwest. When they arrived, they found both Flint and Woods injured and bleeding on a staircase, according to police.
Both were sent to George Washington University Hospital, where Flint died of his injuries nearly a month later, on Sept. 20.
Woods was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter less than a month after Flint’s death.
Charging documents say that Woods smashed a glass over the head of another patron in the bar, and then Flint and others attempted to defuse the situation, according to witnesses. When Woods picked up a bar stool and started swinging it as a weapon, Flint began to physically restrain Woods and escort him down the stairs and out of the bar, according to witnesses.
Woods continued to resist Flint and attempt to reach the other patron when the pair lost their footing on the staircase and fell headfirst all the way to the bottom, according to witnesses.
Flint fell headfirst into a doorjamb at the bottom of the staircase, according to a witness. As a result of the fall, Flint had extensive skull fractures and three broken ribs, according to court documents.
It appeared that both men had been knocked unconscious, but Woods sat up shortly after whereas Flint never regained consciousness, according to the documents.
A full copy of Woods’ indictment and charging documents will be added below.
