NEW CUMBERLAND — An initial court appearance for the defendant involved in an assault outside the Chester Veterans of Foreign Wars is postponed until next month.

Louis P. Gallo, of Chester, initially had been set Thursday for a hearing with Hancock County Magistrate Matthew Harvey.

According to the county online case docket, the defense filed a motion to continue and a waiver of time limits in conjunction with his preliminary hearing, which was reset for 9:20 p.m. Sept. 25.

No attorney of record has been noted on the case, but Gallo remains out on the initial bond he posted in conjunction with the July 31 incident.

Gallo was arrested on a malicious assault charge, after he is alleged to have pummelled an unconscious male victim more than 20 times, as the man laid unresponsive at the VFW building.

The men had been arguing inside the VFW before electing to take it outside.

According to witnesses and video surveillance, Gallo then allegedly re-entered the establishment and said to an employee, “Your buddy is outside bleeding on the sidewalk.”

Gallo then re-exited the VFW and approached the still unmoving victim, kicking him in the head before leaving the area.

There is no update on the condition of the victim, who had to be airlifted to Pittsburgh due to the severity of his injuries.

The malicious assault charge is an unspecified felony due to his continued attack on an unconscious victim.

If convicted, Gallo faces up to 10 years in prison and a substantial fine.