LIBERTY, NY — On Monday, March 20,  at approximately 9 a.m., Village of Liberty Police Officers responded to a report of an assault in progress at Shoprite in the Village of Liberty. Responding officers located a victim who had suffered an injury to the back of his head and an individual who was being restrained by several Good Samaritan bystanders.

The individual, Kip Banks, 31 of Liberty was taken into custody by responding officers. Investigation revealed that Banks had forcibly stolen a large glass liquor bottle from a neighboring business and then went into the Shoprite and assaulted an employee in the store with the liquor bottle by striking him in the back of the head.

The assault was interrupted by several customers and employees in the store who restrained Banks until police arrived.  Banks was charged with robbery in the 1st degree, assault in the 2nd degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the 3rd degree, all felonies, and menacing in the 2nd  degree, a misdemeanor. 

Banks was arraigned in the Town of Liberty Court by the Honorable Judge Johnstone and was remanded to Sullivan County Jail without bail. 

Criminal charges are merely allegations that a defendant has committed violations of the criminal law, and as such they are not evidence of guilt. All defendants have a presumption of innocence and are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the burden of the State of New York to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.