On the morning of Thursday, September 28, just after 9 a.m., Covington City Manager Allen Dressler faced Judge Timothy Carwile after an assault and battery charge was brought against him. The isolated incident occurred on July 4, 2023, at the Jackson River Sports Complex during Independence Day festivities that were scheduled for the town.
The accuser, Shelby Kimberlin, alleged that on the evening of July 4, 2023, Allen Dressler assaulted her near the restrooms at the Jackson River Sports Complex in the presence of her two sons, Trevor and Nicholas Drennen.
Commonwealth Attorney Mitchell Hanson was first to present his case on behalf of Shelby Kimberlin, immediately calling Kimberlin to stand. According to the accuser, she had gone to the Jackson River Sports Complex around 8 or 8:30 p.m. with her husband and sons following a phone call from a friend. Kimberlin later attempted to use the restroom where her sons, who both worked for the city of Covington and were hired by Allen Dressler, were cleaning.
Kimberlin said that Dressler initially was leaning on trash cans when she approached, while her sons were about 4 feet away. She said she spoke to her sons briefly about an incident that occurred on June 29 prior to attempting to use the restroom but never got the chance because Dressler stopped her. According to Kimberlin, Dressler put his hands on her shoulders, nudging her backward while refusing to allow her entrance to the bathroom. Kimberlin said Dressler then put one hand on her shoulder and “squeezed and was digging in… squeezing as hard as he could.”
She said she repeatedly told Dressler, “Take your hands off me!” but he did not. She then called 9-1-1 after the incident and said she believed Dressler was intoxicated during the incident. On the stand, she claimed, “You could smell alcohol on him. He was clearly intoxicated.”
Dressler’s attorney, Jim Guynn, then questioned Kimberlin, focusing his attention on her interaction with Sgt. Kameron Crowder, the responding officer to the July 4 incident. After establishing her sons both worked for the City of Covington at the time of the incident and continued to work there afterward, Guynn asked Kimberlin if she told Crowder that Dressler seemed intoxicated during the incident, and Kimberlin responded that yes, she had. Guynn pressed the issue, stating the bodycam footage told a different story and that she had, in fact, never told Crowder that Dressler seemed intoxicated. Kimberlin then stated she believed she told Crowder about her suspicions regarding his intoxication.
Guynn also asked Kimberlin if she ever used the restroom that night, to which Kimberlin stated no. Guynn then pressed Kimberlin on the issue, asking her why she did not utilize the bathroom after Sgt. Crowder arrived on the scene or after he left. Kimberlin stated that she did not want any additional confrontation.
Commonwealth Attorney Mitchell Hanson then produced two other witnesses for Judge Timothy Carwile: her two sons, Trevor, and Nicholas Drennen, starting with the latter brother. Drennen offered similar testimony to his mother, stating he saw Dressler put his hand on his mom’s shoulder and heard her say on three different occasions to remove it. He said he “was in shock” and therefore, did not remember much of the conversation between his mom and Allen Dressler. He stated that Dressler asked him to clean the bathrooms but had not noticed anything abnormal about his then-boss that day.
Trevor Drennen was next to testify. He said he noticed two people waiting in line to use the restroom in front of his mom and saw Dressler put both hands on Kimberlin’s shoulders. He said his mother told Dressler three times to “take his hands off” her shoulders and heard her say, “You’re assaulting me.” He also noted seeing a blonde-haired woman approach Dressler from behind toward the end of the incident.
Following their testimonies, Attorney Jim Guynn requested the case be dismissed based on there being “three different stories” coming from Shelby Kimberlin, Trevor Drennen, and Nicholas Drennen. However, the Commonwealth Attorney requested to move forward with the case, and Judge Carwile agreed.
Sgt. Crowder then testified that Kimberlin did not tell him that Dressler was intoxicated on the evening of July 4, and neither did Dressler appear to be. According to Crowder, Kimberlin stated she was shoved several times by Dressler, and so Crowder advised her to speak to the magistrate if she felt she needed a protective order or get a warrant against Dressler for assault and battery. The Commonwealth Attorney declined to ask follow-up questions to Sgt. Crowder.
Jim Guynn then called two other witnesses to the stand, beginning with Delores Lane. Lane had been present the night of the July 4 incident and had gone to use the restroom when she noticed the confrontation between Dressler and Kimberlin. Lane stated that although she got in line for the restroom, the line was not moving, as there appeared to be some boys cleaning it. She said she noticed Kimberlin right away and that, even though she could not hear what Kimberlin was saying, Kimberlin appeared to be angry and that Dressler appeared to be trying to calm her down but denied that Dressler pushed or shoved Kimberlin.
Lane stated that Dressler put his fingertips on her shoulder but retracted them right away when his attempt to calm her down was not working. She also stated that her husband was an officer for over 30 years, so she knew Dressler but had not spoken with him since the incident occurred.
Jenny Phillips was the last to testify in the case. She stated she had gone out to watch the fireworks and had gotten in line to use the restroom, but that it “looked like something was getting fixed,” though it appeared people were still going in and coming out. She mentioned knowing Dressler from the recreation department when her children played sports.
Phillips said she heard Dressler say, “I love these boys” before reaching over to touch Kimberlin’s left shoulder with his right hand. She stated that there was no pressure or shoving but did hear Kimberlin say, “Don’t put your hands on me!” She said Dressler responded by saying, “I didn’t put my hands on you.” Upon leaving, Phillips and her husband saw Crowder coming to the scene and assumed it was due to the incident that occurred between Dressler and Kimberlin, so she let Crowder know she had witnessed the exchange.
At the conclusion of the case, Judge Carwile saw enough evidence to convict Dressler of the charge of assault and battery, noting that in the state of Virginia, a touch that offended the one being touched is enough. He also stated it was clear that Dressler’s touch, which was admitted by both sides, was sufficient for a conviction. Judge Carwile then ordered Dressler to pay court fees and, if there are no further incidents between Dressler and Kimberlin over the next 6 months, he will dismiss the case on March 28, 2024.