Man accused of assaulting security guard at downtown Columbia bar

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man has been charged with a felony after he allegedly assaulted a security guard at a downtown Columbia bar over the weekend.

Dorice Smith, 34, of Columbia, was charged on Monday in Boone County with first-degree assault. He is being held by the Department of Corrections and was detained on Sunday.

Court documents allege he is on parole for a burglary charge. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to first-degree burglary, two counts of illegal gun possession, two counts of stealing a gun and one count of resisting arrest. He was sentenced to five years in prison for that case. The DOC confirmed he was released in December.

Court documents say police were called to The Basement in the 800 block of East Walnut Street around 1 a.m. Sunday for a report of an assault. Multiple witnesses in the probable cause statement described Smith having to be removed from the bar for “unreasonable behavior. “

One of the witnesses allegedly told police that Smith returned to the bar to assault the security guard, who police found unconscious with a “pool of blood” around him, the statement says. The officer wrote the victim likely had a skull fracture.

The victim allegedly told police at University Hospital that he had to use pepper spray on Smith “due to his violent behavior” and could not remember anything afterwards, the statement says.