Timothy T. Pressley is being held in the Ada County Jail on a felony aggravated battery charge after Boise police say he had his pit bull attack a man who asked Pressley and his friends to stop drinking alcohol in a parking lot of a Broadway Avenue business Thursday afternoon.

The 21-year-old Pressley is also accused of punching the victim in the face.

Police were sent to the parking lot in the 4100 block of Broadway Avenue around 4 p.m. Thursday after getting a 911 call from a third party.

When police arrived, the dog was still loose and tried to bite officers, who eventually tied it to a pole until animal control officers could get there and take it away, according to reports.

Witnesses say the victim asked Pressley and two other men, who were drinking a bottle of whiskey, twice to leave the parking lot. After the second time, the victim told police the group of men started yelling at him when Pressley unleashed the dog, which went directly at the victim and bit him in the torso, according to reports.

It was when the man was struggling to get the dog off that Pressley is accused of punching him in the face. Police arrived a short time later and arrested Pressley, who was also cited for having an open container.

Police reports do not say if the victim had to get medical treatment for the dog bite but did say he got a gash on his face from the punch.

Pressley, who police describe as a transient, will make his initial court appearance Friday afternoon. The dog is being held at the Idaho Humane Society, which provides animal control services for the City of Boise.

The crime of aggravated battery is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.