State senator's aide arrested after bar fight

Jefferson City police arrested the top aide of a Phelps County state senator last week after the man told police his gun fell to the floor during a fight at a local bar, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. On the same night, two House members were in a fight at another bar that left one of them with a black eye, the newspaper reported.

In the incident involving the senator's aide, police were called to Spectator's Bar and Grill before 12:30 a.m. Thursday, the newspaper reported. Police said a 9 mm Ruger pistol loaded with five rounds fell to the floor during a barroom fight.

Police arrested Jared Brown, chief of staff to freshman Sen. Justin Brown, R-Rolla. Jared Brown, 45, of Malden, was booked into the Cole County Jail for unlawful use of a weapon and use of a loaded weapon while intoxicated.

As of the end of business Tuesday afternoon, no formal charges against Brown had been filed with the Cole County Circuit Clerk's Office. Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson told the News Tribune on Tuesday evening he was aware of the incident and he and his staff were reviewing the case. Thompson believed a decision on whether or not to formally charge Brown would come by the end of the week.

In the police report, police said Brown said he carries the gun because he has received death threats because of his job with the senator's office. Police said Brown was "visibly intoxicated" and admitted to bringing the gun into the bar.

Jared Brown began working for former Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla, in 2013, the Post-Dispatch reported. Jared Brown remained in that role when Dan Brown was replaced by his son, Justin.

In the other incident, Republican Reps. Nick Schroer, of O'Fallon, and Bruce DeGroot, of Chesterfield, told the Post-Dispatch they were "joking around" and wrestling at the Eagles Club in Jefferson City.

"I accidentally hurt his eye when he tried to take me down, and I used an MMA (mixed martial arts) move," Schroer told the newspaper.

DeGroot also said the fisticuffs were an "accident."