Man allegedly punches woman at Oak Harbor bar

An Oak Harbor man is accused of punching a woman at a downtown bar hard enough to fracture her eye socket, according to court documents.

Prosecutors charged Cameron H. Lee, 30, in Island County July 27 with assault in the second degree and assault in the fourth degree. He could face up to nine months in jail if convicted of the charges.

On April 29, a woman reported that a stranger at a bar pushed her friend down and punched her in the eye, which was swollen shut when police arrived. The caller said the staff at the bar “rushed” her and her friend out and shut the door on her when she told them she wanted the man arrested.

Video footage from inside the bar shows a man suddenly push a woman to the ground, push another woman and then throw a punch at a third woman. In the video, as people try to separate them, the woman approaches the man, who pushes people aside and punches the woman in the face, according to the police report.

The woman suffered a fractured orbital socket, a concussion and a cut that required 10 stitches.

One of the women involved later identified Lee as the suspect through Facebook.

In an interview with a police officer, Lee claimed the women got too close to him at the bar and he told them to back off. He said he pushed the three women away, but then someone punched him in the mouth so he threw a punch in that direction.