May 23, 2016 | 4:30 PM EDT
By ITA Guest Writer
On the afternoon of Sunday, 22 May 2016 Eric Kirsch, was assaulted by a Man loudly claiming he was an Ex-Navy SEAL at the VA Hospital in North Little Rock Hospital in N. Little Rock AR. Kirsch, a former Marine Captain and multiple tour Combat Veteran asked the Man to stop informing others he was a Navy SEAL. The phony SEAL, Charles Pegues, 49, became enraged after Kirsch informed him he had an actual SEAL friend run his name through the BUDS database confirming he was not a SEAL.
(Charles Pegues, 49, North Little Rock Police Department Booking Photo, 2015)
Pegues, who was not a patient, began screaming obscenities and physically assaulted Kirsch who was using the Wifi lounge. Kirsch defended himself taking Pegues to the ground after ordering him to stay back and subdued Pegues with a series of punches. Pegues was eventually incapacitated and plead to be released after Kirsch applied thumb pressure on Pegues eyes. Kirsch released him after recognizing Pegues had submitted. Pegues fled the hospital and was detained for questioning by VA Police. Kirsch was treated for minor injuries to include contused ribs and for lacerations on his knees, elbows and hands. Kirsch declined to press assault charges against Pegues.
(ER report)
Pegues has a history of violence most recently being arrested and charged for making terroristic threats and threatening to kill police officers after an armed standoff with SWAT at his North Little Rock, AR residence on 27 March 2015. Officers said Pegues yelled he was "locked and loaded" and "ready to shoot officers," the report states. He also told police he is an ex-Navy Seal. Police entered the residence after several attempts to get Pegues to come out when they heard the sound of a gun racking, and backed out of the residence and called the SWAT team in, the report states. SWAT officers announced via loudspeaker about 2:20 p.m. that Pegues had five minutes to exit the home before they deployed non-burning gas. When Pegues did not comply, the SWAT team shot the gas into the home about 2:25 p.m. The report lists Pegues as "mentally afflicted."
SWAT Article Link: http://m.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/mar/27/swat-team-responds-little-rock-residence/
Kirsch, served three active duty combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine Counterintelligence Officer and Active Duty NCIS Special Agent and lost many close friends in the GWOT. Pegues was released after fleeing police prior his arrest and questioning. Pegues is now administratively barred by Law Enforcement from the N. Little Rock VA Hospital campus. “I did not want to fight the guy yet Marines will always defend others and themselves if attacked. Maybe he’ll stop claiming he’s a SEAL.” Kirsch related. Kirsch returned from Iraqi Kurdistan in 2015 where he served as a civilian consultant to the US and Kurdish Regional Government in 2014 and 2015.
(Kirsch in Afghanistan, 2011.)