The man arrested by Atlanta police for sucker punching people on the street made his first court appearance Friday morning.
Curtis Bethea, 31, had a misdemeanor first appearance for the charge of battery substantial physical harm. Bond was set at $7,500.
Bethea also was scheduled for a felony first appearance hearing for an aggravated assault charge. He waived that hearing, and no bond was set.
His next court hearing is scheduled for February 6 at 9:30 a.m. at the Fulton County Courthouse.
Police believe Bethea walked up to strangers in Midtown and punched them in the face, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The most recent punching incident occurred Tuesday in an office building on Peachtree Street, police said.
A week ago, a man told police that someone punched him in the face, knocking him into the street and causing him to nearly lose consciousness as he walked from a restaurant to the Midtown Arts Center MARTA station.
One victim, who asked not to be identified, called the attack “just a random act of violence.”
He said his glasses were broken and his face cut.
Police believe Bethea also punched a man on Crescent Avenue on Jan. 5.
“This is one individual just walking down the street and making the decision to punch someone in the face,” Atlanta police spokesman Ralph Woolfolk said.
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