OAKLAND — A Brentwood man was formally sentenced to four days he’d already served in jail and three years probation in connection with a 2019 bar fight where he allegedly punched the victim, who later died from his injuries.
Matthew Jardine, 39, pleaded no contest to a battery charge as part of the deal. In exchange, Alameda County prosecutors dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against him. The victim, 41-year-old Thaddeus Steiner, died after Jardine punched him in the face and knocked him unconscious at the Florence bar in Fremont.
The police probable cause statement alleges Jardine invited Steiner to go outside the bar, then came inside and told “your buddy is sleeping next door, and put him to sleep,” and that someone should go check on him.
Steiner fell backwards, struck his head, and was pronounced brain dead that night. He died the following day from blunt force trauma injuries. Jardine later told police he believed Steiner was going to pull a gun on him and he needed to defend himself.
Though Jardine has been formally sentenced, the case is still technically ongoing; a restitution hearing has been set for December to determine how much money Jardine will be required to pay to Steiner’s next-of-kin.
Source: www.mercurynews.com