Apparently December is the month for the Family Ties cast to finally recapture our imaginations with their late-in-life realizations of lesbianism and, now, a bar room brawl. Former child actor Brian Bonsall, best known for playing Andy on the 1980s show, was officially charged with assault over the weekend for beating a man with a broken stool.

Bonsall could face between two and six years in prison if convicted of the charge that prosecutors filed Friday.

Bonsall, 28, was arrested Saturday and appeared briefly in a Boulder courtroom Wednesday morning. Police said he was involved in a fight at an apartment in the 1100 block of 11th Street in Boulder on Saturday. The victim told police that Bonsall hit him with a part of a broken wooden stool.

Bonsall allegedly told officers he had been drinking that night and didn’t remember what had happened but identified the man who called police as his “best friend.” Police had been called to the residence three times before they arrested Bonsall.

Police say Bonsall was also wanted on a warrant for missing a court hearing in 2007 on suspicion of violating bond conditions on another case. In that case, he had been sentenced to two years of probation for his girlfriend’s assault.

I find it shocking that a child star of all people would end up in trouble with the law. They’re typically so well-adjusted and law abiding. I’ll never forget the time when Dana Plato organized a fundraiser to save the local high school basketball team or when Todd Bridges stopped an attempted mugging of an elderly woman. Or maybe they just got hooked on drugs and attempted to rob a video store and murder a coke dealer, respectively. Same difference, really. Aside: If you want to burn a couple minutes in shock at how someone’s life can fall apart, check out the Troubled Personal Life section of Dana Plato’s Wikipedia page.

I’m somewhat concerned about this Brian Bonsall situation though. This arrest isn’t going to shine a favorable light on the vibrant community of people with creepy neck tattoos. With all their contributions to society, it’s a shame that people might look down upon them due to how poorly Brian Bonsall has represented their proud culture. Neck tattoos have led to stunning advancements in the fields of:

Bar room fights
Biker gangs
Crystal meth

And so much more! Neck Tattoos: For When You’re Done Trying to “Succeed”

[TheDenverChannel]