The Griffin Police Department (GPD) responded to a location on East Solomon Street on Friday afternoon in response to the report of a fight.

According to a GPD incident report, police officers made contact with 55-year-old Lewis Dodson when they arrived at the scene. Dodson stated that he was beaten up by 37-year-old John Stiles after he had replaced the alternator on Stiles’ vehicle.

Dodson said that Stiles was unhappy with the work because the part didn’t work and was, in fact, draining his battery. The two met at the Advance Auto Part store on West Taylor Street, where Dodson said he gave Stiles a battery to get home.

Dodson then reportedly followed Stiles to his residence where the two got into an argument over the parts. Dodson, who officers noted appeared heavily intoxicated, claimed that Stiles punched him in his face before he got into his vehicle and drove off.

When an officer made contact with Stiles at his residence on North Ninth Street, he stated that he gave Dodson $20 to replace the alternator and $35 to get the old alternator to a junk yard. When the alternator was, indeed, draining the battery, Stiles told officers he just wanted Dodson to go back to the salvage yard and get another alternator.

Stiles further stated that Dodson refused, became angry and said he wasn’t going to fix a (expletive) thing for him. As the argument became heated, Stiles told Dodson to get off his property.

Even though Dodson kept on “running his mouth,” telling Stiles he would whoop his (expletive), Stiles assisted Dodson into his vehicle and attempted to walk back inside his house. Dodson reportedly got out of his vehicle and started walking back toward Stiles. Despite being told again to leave, Dodson got in Stiles’ face and pointed his finger in Stiles’ face.

Stiles then struck Dodson in the face, which threw him to the ground. Dodson then got into his vehicle and left the scene.

After further investigation, including a separate account of events by Stiles’ wife, police determined that Stiles was protecting himself and his property from Dodson, as Dodson had plenty of warnings to leave the property and even was in his vehicle at one time before getting back out.