Timmy R. Cowles

A Bowling Green man arrested after fatally striking another man at a bar now faces a more serious criminal charge after being indicted by a grand jury.

Timothy Ray Cowles, 37, was indicted Wednesday on a count of second-degree manslaughter.

Cowles is accused of wantonly causing the death of Brad Bunger, 42, of Bowling Green, in an incident that took place Feb. 22 at Dolphie’s Lounge on Scottsville Road.

Bunger died at an area hospital two days after being struck by Cowles, who was arrested by the Bowling Green Police Department on Feb. 25 and charged initially with reckless homicide.

Second-degree manslaughter is a more serious criminal charge, carrying a penalty of 5-10 years in prison, compared to reckless homicide, which is punishable by 1-5 years in prison.

Cowles is scheduled to appear Sept. 2 in Warren Circuit Court for arraignment.

BGPD was called out to Dolphie’s in the early morning hours of Feb. 22 to investigate a reported assault.

At a preliminary hearing in March in Warren District Court, BGPD Detective Jess Parry testified that officers found out that Bunger and his girlfriend had been part of a group of friends who were at Dolphie’s that night and that Bunger had gotten intoxicated to the point that he was asked to leave the bar.

Bunger left with his girlfriend, but they returned so that she could retrieve her cellphone that she had left behind, and Bunger also attempted to re-enter the business, Parry testified.

Cowles assisted an employee at the bar in attempting to get Bunger to leave the business.

Parry said that video footage from Dolphie’s showed Cowles walking Bunger backward out of the bar and grabbing onto Bunger’s clothing with both hands just outside the front door, with Bunger making a sweeping motion with his right hand that caused Cowles’ left hand to lose his grip on Bunger’s shirt.

According to court records, Cowles then punched Bunger in the face with his left hand.

“Immediately, (Bunger’s) face appears to go slack, he falls back and hits his head on the pavement,” Parry said while testifying about the incident in March.

A medical examiner noted that Bunger had facial and skull fractures.

According to an arrest warrant, Cowles had been drinking as a patron that night, but had a prior history working as a bouncer at other bars and offered to help staff with Bunger.

BGPD Detective Ryan Dillon was able to make contact with Cowles through a third party, and Parry said Cowles confirmed to Dillon that he had been at Dolphie’s.

“(Cowles) gave some varying statements to Dillon,” Parry said. “Cowles said he thought (Bunger) was getting ready to swing at him.”

The detective testified that she did not observe a threat to Cowles when she viewed the video footage.

Cowles remained in Warren County Regional Jail for about a month, posting a $25,000 cash bond on March 25.

He was represented at his preliminary hearing by attorney Brian Lowder, who has since withdrawn from the case.

In a motion filed in April supporting his request to withdraw, Lowder said there had been a “breakdown in the attorney/client relationship” and that Cowles had “failed to fulfill the financial conditions required” for Lowder to represent him.

Court records indicate that Cowles is now represented by attorney Matt Baker.

Baker did not immediately return a message seeking comment.