A deadly fight on Sixth Street started after a mishap involving a plate of pizza, an affidavit revealed Friday.
Nathan Raynard Marshall, 28, was charged with manslaughter, a second-degree felony, in connection to the fatal attack on Marques Johnson, 33, Sunday, Sept. 17.
Police said Marshall was taken into custody Thursday morning on an unrelated charge of public intoxication. He was identified as the suspect in the deadly fight after officials received numerous tips from the public who had seen photos and surveillance video of him.
Police say Johnson, a San Antonio resident, was walking with his wife along the 200 block of East Sixth Street near a bar called Barcelona at around 2 a.m. Sept. 17.
A witness said they were out celebrating a friend's birthday when Johnson walked away from the group and bumped into someone. The witness said she saw a man -- described as a man in his mid 20s, 5-foot-11, dark skinned, with short hair and a thick build -- punch Johnson before turning and walking away.
Another witness said he saw the victim walk away from the group by himself when he observed a white man throw a piece of pizza at Johnson. The witness said when Johnson turned around to ask who threw the pizza, a black man punched him. Johnson fell to the ground unconscious, the witness said.
Police released photos of the victim:
Johnson was in critical condition at the hospital until he died Monday. In an arrest affidavit, a preliminary cause of death for Johnson is blunt force trauma. Police confirmed at the press briefing Tuesday that Johnson is believed to be an Air Force veteran.
After watching footage from HALO cameras and a video sent in by a tipster, both witnesses from the incident positively identified Marshall as the suspect who punched Johnson, the affidavit said. Police said they also received several tips through the homicide tip line, advising that the mad was, in fact, Marshall.
While Marshall was being held at the Travis County jail on an unrelated charge, officials said Marshall agreed to make a statement about the Sixth Street incident.
Marshall claimed that Johnson had smashed the pizza out of the white man's hands. When Johnson allegedly came back, Marshall admitted to police he "sucker punched" him one time, and watched him fall to the ground.
Marshall positively identified himself in surveillance video from a 7-11 taken at 2:08 a.m, police said.
Marshall is being held in the Travis County Jail on bonds totaling $150,000.
Police said detectives are interested in talking with the white man described by witnesses and Marshall.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call 512-477-3588 or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS. You can also submit information with the Crime Stoppers App or APD's mobile app on iPhone and Android.