NRV plant manager cleared in assault case

By Jeffrey Simmons
The Wytheville Enterprise
Published: June 5, 2008

A local manufacturing executive has been found not guilty of assaulting a juvenile at Wytheville’s annual Relay for Life event.

In a trial date moved up from August, Tyron J. Harrison, 41, of Draper was cleared of a reduced charge Tuesday in Wythe County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

The Amcor PET Packaging plant manager was arrested in May and charged with malicious wounding after police said he mashed a 7-year-old boy’s face into the ground at the Withers Park fundraiser where teams from local businesses and churches camp out and walk around a track to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Police said the boy, whose mother and father were apparently members of Amcor’s team along with Harrison, sustained bruises, scratches and minor cuts in the attack. Police said witnesses smelled an odor of alcohol coming from Harrison at the park.

Harrison’s attorney, though, characterized his client’s actions as horseplay and predicted that Harrison would be cleared of the “ludicrous” allegations.

On Tuesday, the prosecution amended the charge to misdemeanor assault and battery before the court hearing began. Malicious wounding is a felony, which would have been sent to a grand jury for further consideration had a judge found probable cause.

Following an approximately three-hour trial on Tuesday, Harrison was found not guilty of the reduced charge, according to court records.