News

Man dies in UW Hospital from severe beating injuries

The victim of the battery that occurred Saturday on the southwest side of Madison died Monday in the hospital.

The Madison Police Department was dispatched to a house party on the 4600 block of Atticus Way in the Allied Drive neighborhood around 4:30 a.m. on March 8 in response to a disturbance between two men engaged in an argument which lead to a physical fight.

When the police arrived, they found an unresponsive male with potentially life-threatening injuries. The victim, Tyree Jacobs, a 31-year-old black male, was rushed to UW Hospital, where he remained in critical condition until doctors removed life support Monday.

An argument escalated into a fight, said Joel DeSpain, public information officer for MPD. According to the police report, the preliminary investigation led police to believe the suspect and victim knew each other prior to the incident.

Police arrested James Anderson of Madison with preliminary charges of substantial battery. Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer said Anderson appeared in court Tuesday for a bail hearing.

“The court set Anderson’s cash bail at $100,000,” Verveer said, adding Anderson admitted to detectives that he physically fought Jacobs.

Anderson will be formally charged with second-degree reckless homicide and aggravated battery tomorrow by the state.

Verveer said the autopsy performed Tuesday found the cause of death to be blunt force and head trauma. The results also showed Jacobs had been struck in the face more than one time, Verveer added.

“There had been drinking going on at the party, but witnesses said Anderson was not that intoxicated,” Verveer sad.

According to Verveer, Anderson recently moved to Madison from Chicago where he had a criminal history and was in and out of jail for many years.

 

 — Cara Harshman contributed to this report.