What a way to start the new year. Dustin Diamond checked into an Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, jail on Friday, January 15, to begin his four-month sentence related to a 2014 barroom stabbing.
Last June, the former Saved by the Bell actor — he played class clown Screech — was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct after a Christmas Day barroom brawl took a turn for the worse and Diamond, 39, stabbed a man with a switchblade.
At the time, Diamond argued that he had pulled the knife to defend himself and fiancée Amanda Schutz, who was later found guilty of disorderly conduct.
The pair were also ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to the stabbing victim, who suffered a non–life-threatening wound.
In December, Diamond withdrew his appeal of the disorderly conduct conviction.
“I sincerely apologize to everyone involved,” the actor said during his sentencing. “This was the single most terrifying experience of my life.… This is all I’ve been able to think about for the last six months.”
Diamond added that he thought pulling his knife out would actually cause the fight to fizzle out.
“I figured it would take the fight out of the people,” he said. “Casey [Smet, the stabbing victim] didn’t even know he was injured, so how would I?”