John Travolta
Nick Loren
Vince Vaughn
Teri Polo
Matthew O'Leary
Steve Buscemi
Chris Ellis
Jim Meskimen
When a protective dad (John Travolta) learns a few less-than-desirable things about his son's new stepfather (Vince Vaughn), he realizes that he must save his son before tragedy ensues.
Copyright 2001 The Press Association Limited
April 14, 2001, Saturday
RESERVOIR DOGS STAR BUSCEMI KNIFED
Reservoir Dogs star Steve Buscemi has been knifed in a bar-room brawl in North Carolina, US police said.
Fellow actor Vince Vaughn, who was with Buscemi in Wilmington, where they are filming a film called Domestic Disturbance, ended up in jail following the bust-up in a bar called the Firebelly Lounge. Buscemi was stabbed in the throat, head and arm in a fight in the early hours but was allowed to leave hospital after treatment.
Buscemi, who played Mr Pink in the hit Quentin Tarantino movie and has also appeared in such films as Fargo, and 28 Days, has flown to New York to recover.
"He is now home and resting comfortably and luckily is going to be OK," said his publicist, Staci Wolfe.
Vaughn, screenwriter Scott Rosenberg and two other Wilmington men were charged with misdemeanour assault following the fight. All four have been released on bail.
Wilmington resident Timothy Fogerty was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.
Police said the cause of the brawl is under investigation.
One witness said the fight started when Vaughn began talking to the girlfriend of one of the men at the nightclub. Tempers got heated and people went outside, where the fighting escalated.
The filming of Domestic Disturbance, which also stars John Travolta, is continuing without Buscemi, according to a publicist.
Copyright 2001 Wilmington Star-News, Inc.
Morning Star (Wilmington, NC)
September 14, 2001, Friday
Student gets 180 days for injuring movie actor
Timothy Fogerty, the man accused of stabbing actor Steve Buscemi in a Wilmington brawl earlier this year, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in the incident Thursday.
Mr. Fogerty, 21, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury. The intent to kill portion of the charge was dropped - slightly lessening the severity of the felony - in exchange for Mr. Fogerty's plea in New Hanover County Superior Court.
Mr. Fogerty was sentenced to a minimum of 25 months in custody, all but 180 days of which will be suspended while he remains on supervised probation for three years. A college senior, Mr. Fogerty will begin serving his sentence in January, after the semester ends. Mr. Fogerty was one of two Wilmington men charged in the fight that included Mr. Buscemi, fellow actor Vince Vaughn and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg. The actors were in town filming Domestic Disturbance when they went to the Firebelly Lounge on Front Street on April 12.
Assistant District Attorney Jon David said in court Thursday that some of the bar's patrons were jealous of the actors' celebrity and hurled insults at them. Mr. Vaughn called for one unidentified man to meet him outside to continue the insults, Mr. David said.
The prosecutor said a crowd heard the challenge and followed the two men into the street, where someone overheard Mr. Fogerty ask: "Who wants to get sliced?"
The actor and the unidentified man wound up shaking hands, but the crowd remained agitated and the insults kept coming.
Then, Mr. David said, Mr. Fogerty walked up to Mr. Buscemi and said, "Cool down, Steve." The actor was surprised that someone he didn't know would call him by name in that situation, especially since he wasn't upset.
Mr. Fogerty waved a pocketknife menacingly at Mr. Buscemi, who tried to kick it out of his hand. That's when Mr. Fogerty "savagely attacked" the actor with the knife, cutting his head and neck and resulting in defensive wounds on Mr. Buscemi's hands, the prosecutor said.
Mr. David said that afterward, Kenneth Robert Purgason of Wilmington, a friend of Mr. Fogerty, turned to Mr. Vaughn and said, "I'm happy Buscemi got stabbed," which started a fight among Mr. Vaughn, Mr. Rosenberg and Mr. Purgason.
Most seriously injured in the protracted brawl was Mr. Buscemi, who underwent "extensive medical treatment," Mr. David said.
Bill Peregoy, Mr. Fogerty's lawyer, said the prosecutor presented the most slanted version possible of the story. He said Mr. Vaughn started the confrontation while still inside the bar.
A drunken, unruly crowd of 40 to 50 people poured into the street, where Mr. Vaughn delivered the first blow, knocking a man down, Mr. Peregoy said. "Vince Vaughn was an out-of-control individual that evening," the lawyer said.
Mr. Peregoy later explained that his client has been under psychiatric care for about 18 months to control his anger and drinking.
In addition, the night of the brawl, Mr. Fogerty was drinking alcohol while taking medication for anxiety, Mr. Peregoy said.
After the fight, Mr. Vaughn, Mr. Rosenberg and Mr. Purgason were charged with simple affray, the term for public fighting.
In May, Mr. Purgason pleaded guilty to the charge, while Mr. Vaughn and Mr. Rosenberg entered Alford pleas, which is akin to pleading no contest.
Mr. Buscemi was not charged.
In court Thursday, Mr. Fogerty said his actions that night were "uncharacteristic."
Assistant District Attorney Ben David, who prosecuted the case with his brother, said Mr. Fogerty "picked the right victim" in Mr. Buscemi, because the actor wanted Mr. Fogerty to get help for possible substance abuse and psychiatric problems.
The state was seeking jail time , Ben David said.
Judge Ben Alford ordered Mr. Fogerty to undergo psychiatric and substance abuse evaluations. He also ordered him to stay away from the Firebelly Lounge and Mr. Buscemi.
