Reports: Jury Acquits Air Force Colonel Accused of Groping Woman Outside Arlington Bar

A seven-member Arlington jury on Wednesday afternoon acquitted U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski of an assault charge in a two-day trial that gained national attention, according to the Associated Press.

Krusinski, a 42-year-old Arlington man who worked at the Pentagon as head of the Air Force's sexual assault prevention program, had been accused of grabbing a woman's breasts and buttocks outside of a Crystal City bar in May.

The 23-year-old woman, whose name media outlets have withheld, testified over the course of the trial that Krusinski approached her from behind late at night outside of Freddie's Beach Bar, grabbed her backside and asked her if she liked it, according to the Washington Post.

The woman testified that she followed Krusinski and hit him three times with one hand, though several other witnesses told the court that they saw her beat the man repeatedly with her fist and her phone, according to Stars and Stripes.

Krusinski's attorney, Barry Coburn, focused on what he called inconsistencies in the recollection of what happened after the alleged incident, according to multiple reports.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Cari Steele argued that was a distraction from the incident itself, and that consistent recollection wasn't likely when most of the witnesses were drinking, according to Stars and Stripes.

The jury deliberated for about an hour, according to the AP.

Krusinski was initially charged with sexual battery, though this summer prosecutors allowed that charge to be dropped and pursued the regular assault charge. At the time, they cited the extensive evidence required to prove a sex charge.

Both charges were Class 1 misdemeanors in Virginia.