VILSECK, Germany — A 172nd Infantry Brigade soldier, charged with aggravated assault for allegedly cutting other soldiers with glass and a box cutter on consecutive nights, is scheduled to face a court-martial here this month.

Pfc. James Roberts, 23, who was arraigned Tuesday at the Rose Barracks courtroom, is charged with striking Pvt. Luis Torres on Nov. 20 outside a club in Nabburg. Roberts is also charged with cutting Staff Sgt. Alexander Grady on the face, head and right wrist with a box cutter the following night.

Roberts is also charged with assault, resisting arrest and disrespecting a noncommissioned officer in relation to an incident last June, in which he allegedly assaulted a military police officer.

However, during a motions hearing Tuesday, Roberts’ defense attorney, Capt. Evan Seamone, told the court that his client could argue self-defense in some of the incidents. For instance, in the incident involving the alleged assault on the military police officer, Seamone said he planned to call four witnesses who would testify that Roberts offered no resistance, but that the MP punched him in an unprovoked attack.

Seamone asked the court to compel several witnesses to appear at the court-martial in support of his argument that the incident was a case of police brutality.

The defense case would include "evidence of a police brutality cover-up," he said, before requesting the appearance of an MP trainer formerly stationed at Vilseck and a Criminal Investigation Command special agent.

He said the pair would testify that allegations of police brutality should be referred to CID, something that did not happen in Roberts’ case.

Col. Jeffrey Nance, the judge overseeing the proceedings, said Lt. Col. Shawn Driscoll, provost marshal for U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwöhr, would answer questions about procedures for handling allegations of police brutality, but he left open the possibility of compelling other witnesses to testify.

Roberts’ court-martial is set to begin May 18.