Fight at Austin bar left man with TBI; 2 arrested, 1 suspect still at large

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Jamal Joseph Brooks, left, and Darion Deshon Dickson, right (Austin Police Department)

AUSTIN, Texas - Two men have been arrested in connection with a bar fight in downtown Austin that left a man with a traumatic brain injury in February.

Detectives are still looking for a third person involved who may have ties to the Houston area.

What we know:

29-year-old Darion Deshon Dickson has been charged with third-degree felony aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.

34-year-old Jamal Joseph Brooks has been charged with assault causing bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor.

Both men have bonded out of jail: Dickson on a $20,000 bond with orders to stay away from the victim and Brooks on a $3000 bond with orders to stay away from the victim, the lounge and no firearms.

The backstory:

Court paperwork outlines the events of Feb. 28 at the Lowdown Lounge on 6th Street.

APD was called there around 1:19 a.m. for a "disturbance urgent" where a man had been assaulted and was bleeding from the head.

Officers found the man in the back of an ambulance bleeding from the back of the head and left ear. He could not answer any questions and officers learned he had suffered a concussion.

Officers obtained surveillance footage from the bar manager and identified others involved with the incident.

Detectives later spoke with the victim, who said he didn't remember anything from the incident, just that he was punched by one of the suspects.

Medical paperwork says he suffered a skull fracture, a traumatic brain injury, memory loss, muscle spasms in his back and legs, and loss of smell and taste.

Detectives also spoke with his two friends who said the victim had accidentally bumped into another man at the bar. The man began arguing with the victim and his friends separated them in an effort to de-escalate.

The man later approached the trio again, this time with a group of his friends, and resumed the argument. One of the men with him punched the victim's friends and then others joined in after that.

The victim's friends also reported that they noticed someone had punched the victim, and he didn't get back up.

The suspects then left, and the victim's friends found him lying in a pool of blood. One of the friends also suffered a busted lip which required stitches.

The affidavit says that Dickson was seen on surveillance video from the bar punching both the victim and one of his friends in the face while Brooks and a third suspect joined in on the fight.

The third suspect seen in the surveillance video punched one of the friends, then the other twice in the face before walking off, says the affidavit.

Dig deeper:

Dickson has multiple dismissed misdemeanors for possession and assault going back to 2014 and one active one from 2025 for unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Brooks has a couple of misdemeanors from 2010 and 2015 for filing a false report to law enforcement and evading arrest.

What's next:

Detectives are looking for a third suspect involved in the incident.

He is described as a Black male approximately 6'5" to 6'6" with a large build. He was last seen wearing a dark black or blue hoodie and may have had facial hair, according to the affidavit.

Investigators believe he may have ties to the Houston area.

Dickson is due in court on April 24. Brooks has a court date on May 27.

What you can do:

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the APD Aggravated Assault Unit at 512-974-5245 or submit tips anonymously through Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477 or austincrimestoppers.org.