Police locate witness after man killed in Cherokee County bar fight

Little is known about what led to the deadly attack on a Jackson County man inside a Cherokee County sports bar over the weekend.

According to Canton police, surveillance footage from the Canton Icehouse shows that Leon Danzis, 45, was involved in a brief conversation with at least one other person Friday night. A group formed, and punches were thrown.

“It was just a short fight between some individuals,” police spokesman Officer Pacer Cordry told AJC.com. It did not appear that anyone pulled out a weapon, he said.

Officers were called to the bar, located at 150 Keith Drive, when the dust settled about 10:20 p.m. Danzis was taken to Northside Hospital-Cherokee, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy was performed Monday, Cordry said. Investigators were told Danzis, who is from Hoschton, was a construction worker staying in a hotel while he worked a job.

A witness, who did not want to appear on camera, told Channel 2 Action News that Danzis was a victim of a completely random act of violence. The man was also injured in the fight and treated in an emergency room for a concussion and broken ribs, the news station reported.

Cordry said investigators still do not know how many people were involved in the altercation, or if Danzis had any prior relationship with his attacker.

“It happened so quick and they are still looking for a witness to determine what caused it,” he said.

Police on Tuesday released a photo of a potential witness and asked the public for help to identify him. Later that afternoon, police tweeted their thanks to the community for helping investigators locate and identify the witness.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Canton police Detective Kyle Smith at 770-720-4883 or Kyle.Smith@cantonga.gov.