Man Smashes Liquor, Wine Bottles

The Columbus Dispatch ^ | December 18, 2001 | Matthew Marx

[buccaneer81]

Man smashes liquor, wine bottles

Tuesday, December 18, 2001

Matthew Marx

Dispatch Staff Reporter

A Northwest Side man wielding a golf club smashed thousands of dollars worth of wine and liquor at the Big Bear store at West 5th and Grandview avenues last night.

Asad K. Thahim, 24, of 1450 King Ave. Apt. 35, is accused of creating a panic at the store when he pushed the manager to the floor and began slashing glass bottles.

Thahim walked up to the service counter and said it was against his religion for wine to be consumed and that he was going to smash every bottle in the place, witnesses told Columbus police.

Thahim also took a swing at Andrew Raymond, second-shift store manager, who called police.

Raymond refused to comment last night.

Columbus police charged Thahim with one felony count each of vandalism and inducing panic and one misdemeanor count of assault.

More than $50,000 worth of wine and liquor was destroyed, police estimated.

Thahim was in Franklin County jail early this morning.

He will appear in Franklin County Municipal Court today on those charges and some outstanding warrants from separate criminal and traffic offenses. In one of those cases, he is charged with smashing one 40-ounce bottle of beer on the floor of the Speedway gas station at 1626 W. 5th Ave. on Nov. 30.

[Eagle Eye]

A Northwest Side man wielding a golf club smashed thousands of dollars worth of wine and liquor

What? No drinking and driving jokes?

[dighton]

... worse, give him a one-way ticket to Provo, UT ...

But he'd like Provo. Exile him to the place of his worst nightmares.

[Argh]

Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.

[butter pecan fan]

I'll stick to some good old Czech beer...mmm beer

Urquell, and you're on!

[butter pecan fan]

I'll stick to some good old Czech beer...mmm beer

P.S. = it's always nice to meet someone who has taste, instead of so many who only drink... Buttweiper.

[Snow Bunny]

Thank you CG.

[butter pecan fan]

Of course you know about the real Budweiser...Budvar from Ceske' Budejovice, it is available in some states in the US as Czechvar.

No - I've never tried it! Will have to keep an eye out.

I like the Urquell, and occasionally a Grolsch. But mostly I stick to brown bottles: McEwan's from Scotland, Newcastle Brown Ale, an occasional Guinness. Killian's is my favorite from these shores.

[nonliberal]

That's alcohol abuse!

[white rose]

Can't we press Federal charges against this menace for committing a hate crime against drunks?

$30,000 dollars worth of booze...I could cry...that could have provided me with breakfast for at least two days.

[Cultural Jihad]

Tequila BUMP!

Tequila: In search of the blue agave

[SamAdams76]

I've tried the Czechvar - actually Budvar, but Anheuser-Busch has successfully sued to keep the "Budvar" name out of America. What a bunch of insecure, whiney bastards those A-B people are. I guess they are afraid to have Americans sample real beer. It's not bad, by the way. But I'm still partial to Pilsner-Urquell as my favorite Czech beer.

[Victoria Delsoul]

More than $50,000 worth of wine and liquor was destroyed, police estimated.

How long did it take for the police to arrive?

[WackyKat]

Can't he be prosecuted for a hate crime? After all, he "hates" alcohol, doesn't he? Where's the justice?

[AnnO]

I also live in the area and know of someone in the store at the time and it was very violent and employees were hiding praying for the police to arrive soon. The man is a Muslim and what worries me is that the local media is walking on eggs not to name the specific religion of this man. I understand all the hate crime stuff but really we are in deep voodoo if we have to be so touchy feely constantly.

[Cool Guy]

Anytime, Snow Bunny!

[NoCurrentFreeperByThatName]

He should be charged with a hate crime.

[buccaneer81]

the local media is walking on eggs

I've noticed the Dispatch take a decided turn to the left in recent years.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[riley1992]

I had nightmares about this. I just knew I would.