Hootie's Rucker Talks About Parking Lot Fight
June 26 [7:55 EDT] -- Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker told MTV News that he was just looking for a late night snack when he stumbled into an altercation outside a convenience store.
I wanted to get me a Twinkie at 2:30 in the morning," [Complete audio interview, 600k QuickTime] Rucker told MTV News. "I went in to get a Twinkie, and three drunk guys decided they wanted to hassle me. We were leaving, I'm not much for that crap.
As we reported yesterday, Rucker maintains that he was the victim, not the aggressor in the incident, which occurred early Friday morning outside a convenience store in Rucker's hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. Ronald Woltz, 34, reportedly told police that he was trying to break up a fight when he was punched and thrown to the ground by Rucker, but the Hootie singer tells a different story.
We
were leaving. They just took it too far, and then when hands were put on me, that's when I got a little angry and we got into it," Rucker told MTV News.
To be honest with you, we were talking. It was just testosterone flyin' everywhere, and the next thing I knew some guy grabbed me by the neck and I was like 'I can't believe this is happening to me in my hometown!' I thought it was just guys yelling at each other and then when I got grabbed at I realized where they wanted to go with it. And I didn't want to go there, but it was to the point where it was either go there or get punched in the face. And I don't like to get punched in the face.
While Rucker said that he had never met Woltz before, he says that he'd have no trouble identifying him now.
Oh, I know which guy he was, oh yeah. He was the guy who came charging at me with his head down, which is the dumbest move in fighting
if anybody's wondering. Don't charge anybody with your head down.
As we reported yesterday, Rucker's camp contends that the singer's story can be verified by surveillance video footage from the convenience store where the incident occurred. Police have viewed the tape, and have declined to press any charges in the matter.
