Bar fight leads to assault conviction

PALMER — In their second day of deliberations, a Palmer jury Tuesday found a Palmer man guilty on all counts.

Tyler Gardino, 29, faced assault and weapons misconduct charges stemming from a May 2 altercation at Del Rois bar. Alaska State Troopers arrested him, charging him with assault for pointing a gun at bar patrons.

During his trial, Gardino’s attorney, Jon-Marc Petersen, argued that his client was certainly guilty of the weapons misconduct charges — he had brought a gun into a bar while drinking — but not of the assault count. Petersen argued that Gardino was terrified that night and had no time to retreat as five large men advanced on him.

For her part, prosecutor Trina Sears argued that Gardino didn’t need to pull the gun, that there were other ways of de-escalating the situation. She solicited testimony that he’d told a bar patron he wasn’t afraid because he had his gun.

For the assault count, Gardino faces up to two years in prison.