photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A Lawrence Police Department patrol vehicle is pictured June 28, 2022.

A 37-year-old Lawrence man has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a baseball bat after an incident early Saturday evening in downtown Lawrence.

According to police spokeswoman Laura McCabe, an officer saw an active disturbance around 5:45 p.m. in the 700 block of Vermont Street and requested back-up. Several people were involved, and one man had a broken bat, McCabe said. Officers worked to separate everyone to get statements.

“It appears the man with (the) bat believed someone stole a bottle of alcohol from his backpack while he was sleeping,” McCabe said. “He slammed the bat to the ground, shattering its tip and creating a jagged weapon capable of serious injury, and began threatening people.”

Rusty James Hoyman was arrested Saturday, and he was charged Monday with three felony counts of aggravated assault with three different men listed as victims in the charging document.

He remained in the Douglas County Jail Monday afternoon with a bond set at $15,000 cash or surety. His next court date is Wednesday.

Hoyman was convicted in July after pleading guilty to misdemeanor criminal damage to property. He was sentenced to probation, with an underlying sentence of six months in jail. That sentence was running concurrently with a six-month sentence for misdemeanor DUI, which had also been suspended to probation.