A 35-year-old man is facing first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and unlawful-imprisonment charges after an alleged confrontation at a hotel near Bowman Field, according to WHAS11’s account of arrest records. The records identify the man as Mark Dougherty. The charges are allegations; they do not establish guilt.
What the robbery charge alleges
Kentucky’s first-degree robbery statute describes a theft involving physical force or the immediate threat of force, used with intent to accomplish the theft, along with at least one additional condition specified in the law. The definition gives legal context to the allegations about a demanded and taken phone, but does not determine whether the charge can be proved in this case. The Kentucky General Assembly’s statute sets out those requirements.
According to the arrest records as reported by WHAS11, two men allegedly entered the victim’s hotel room and Dougherty demanded his phone. After the victim refused, Dougherty allegedly struck him in the face with brass knuckles, causing swelling and a cut. The victim then handed over the phone, the records say.
A witness statement cited in the records linked the dispute to an alleged $600 drug debt. It said Dougherty believed the victim knew who had taken Dougherty’s phone and wanted him to contact that person; the victim’s refusal allegedly preceded the assault. WHAS11 reported that police were called to a nearby Currito at about 11:45 p.m. Thursday after the victim and a witness arrived there, and that Dougherty allegedly made them walk there to get food before leaving with the victim’s phone.
The records identify a second man as a witness who provided information to police. The public account does not establish what role, if any, that man may have had in the alleged conduct. Dougherty was arrested and faces the three listed charges; the allegations and the statutory definition are not findings by a court.
