Buffalo, NY (WBEN) 24-year-old Avery Hunter of Buffalo has been arraigned before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case on an indictment charging him with one count of Assault in the Second Degree, a Class "D" felony.
The Erie County DA's office says 59 year old Michael Zuch was out for a walk in the vicinity of Grove Place and Grove Street in the City of Tonawanda early August 4th when he was confronted by Hunter. The two did not each other, but a brief verbal altercation ensued. After the two men departed in opposite directions, Hunter turned around, confronted Zuch a second time, and without provocation punched Zuch in the face. A witness observed the events.
Zuch fell to the ground and struck his head on the sidewalk. He spent several weeks at ECMC to be treated for multiple serious injuries before being transferred to a rehabilitation center. Zuch died in November 2019. The Erie County Medical Examiner's Office concluded that his cause of death was related to an underlying medical condition, and the assault did not contribute to his death.
Hunter is scheduled to return on Friday, February 21, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. for a pre-trial conference He remains released on $2,500 cash bail posted on August 7, 2019 in City of Tonawanda Court.
If convicted of the charge, Hunter faces a maximum of 7 years in prison.
