HereIAmLord

At halftime, at the last home football game last year, we all stood to cheer our team coming onto the field. A man behind me reached down and blew an air horn in my left ear. I heard a whistling sound, then a pop. I turned around and asked: Why'd you do that? He replied: That's on behalf of the people in front of you, as he put the smoking can into his jacket.

He never blew an air horn before, that we are aware of. We've been in the same seats 10 seasons, and this was the first season they sat behind us.

I ring a bell. I yell. We cheer. We root for our team! We travel to away games! We've been doing this for 13 years-10 in those same seats.

I left to get the police. A lieutenant would not do anything. I demanded to make a report, and he turned it over to the police officer who is usually at our games, and he gave both of us a "Citizen Self Report" which I completed and delivered to the Police Department the next week. The Principal was under the bleachers too. He said we have the right to cheer and me to ring my bell.

That night, I went to the Emergency Room, because I was in pain. The ER doctor examined me-and told me if the pain continued to see our family Physician. I did. He, in turn sent me to a 3rd doctor, an Ear Nose & Throat Specialist. He said it's a Transient Threshold Shift-where your bones separate to protect your ear-because of the pressure wave from the horn. He gave me a hearing test, a prescription for a course of medium steroids for 6 days, and had me return in 2 weeks.

When I returned, he gave me another hearing test, and most of the tones returned, with the exception of a couple-in the ear injured in the attack. I have tinnitus, which he said may be permanent-maybe not. Sometimes, I have a hard time hearing over it. Pain is gone.

I received a letter from the County Attorney asking for my Doctor records, which I submitted.

I recently received a letter from the County Attorney's office stating: ...This letter is to inform you that after review of (the incident), this office cannot file a Class A Assault charge on (name). There is not enough evidence to prove that his behavior caused the bodily injury which you have claimed. (If I have any questions-call).

*I replied with a letter-asking then, what Class of Assault was this?

Does their office handle it from there?

Does it move to a different office?

Is there anything I need to do? Or do I just wait?

A little more information: The night of the Assault, this man told me: That's on behalf of the people in front of you. When I got up to get the police, my friend who was sitting with me said a man from the row in front of us walked back, sat down and the two of them were talking.

When I returned to my seat, I leaned down and told the woman in front of us-he said it was on their behalf. Did she have anything to do with it? She replied: What if I did?

When the Police Officer who travels with our team brought up the Citizens Self-Report, the man who attacked me-his wife was laughing and talking real loud. She and a woman with her asked for the Officer's card.

From what I understand, they too filed the Citizen's Self-Report. They are not real bright, and I assume, by their pride on the night of the assault, that he didn't deny what he'd done.

After all, the recent letter I received from the County Attorney's Office reads: There is not enough evidence to prove that his ~behavior~ <emphasis mine> caused the bodily injury which you have claimed.

I have found, by telling my story to friends, that he & his wife have quite a reputation around town. They have been known to drink too much at public events, and to get loud and bolsterous.

Question: The pain I had was not enough to make it a Class A Assault? The County Attorney's office didn't say anything about pain-just injury.

*The ENT Specialist told me there's no way to prove or disprove tinnitus. Like our Soldiers coming home from war.

Thank you, in advance, for any help or advice you might give me.