Posted on January 14, 2013

Baby Shower Turns into 200-Person Brawl Ending in 4 Arrests

Daily Mail (London), January 14, 2013

Just one sucker punch turned a happy Massachusetts baby shower into a brawl of bottle-smashing and chair-bashing between 200 people.

The unruly mob surrounded police who say they were urging parents to get their kids away from the fray.

‘The behavior was appalling. It was absolutely appalling. There’s just no other way to put it,’ Stoughton Police Executive Officer Robert Devine said. ‘The worst part was there was a lot of children. Our officers were concerned about the safety of the little ones, while the people who were fighting apparently could have cared less. They were swinging chairs and smashing bottles.’

One man, Patrick Cardoso Lopes, 24, of Brockton, was even hit with a Taser.

Patrick Lopes

Patrick Lopes

 

‘Despite the danger they were in, they went with the less lethal option,’ Devine said. ‘The officers exercised extreme restraint. They had every right in the world to be in fear for their safety. It was a chaotic scene. It was probably one of the more dangerous ones they’ve been in. It was a baby shower. The baby’s father wasn’t any help. He was arguing with us that this was his party and no one was leaving.’

The brawl took place at Portuguese rental hall Club Luiz De Cameos in downtown Stoughton, where things went bad at roughly 20 minutes to midnight.

A man, allegedly bleeding from the head, approached a detail officer claiming he’d been hit by a partygoer.

‘Never really said why,’ Devine said. He said the detail officer was in the process of calling the Stoughton Fire Department ‘because people just kept showing up.’

The club does not face any fines or reprimand over the incident yet.

‘We’re working with them right now,’ Devine said. ‘We’re working to see if alcohol was a primary factor, who were the party goers  . . . ’

Club management could not be reached for comment.

Three men were arrested, including Lopes, who was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, assault and battery on a police officer, obstruction of justice and intimidation of a witness.

Also arrested were Paulo Pires Depina, 24, of Brockton, charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer; Aderito Lopes Deandrade, 22, of Brockton, charged with disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer.

An unidentified 14-year-old male was also arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer.

The men will be arraigned in Stoughton District Court.

Devine said Stoughton police called in backup from state police and police in Canton, Easton and Randolph and the Norfolk Sheriff’s Department.

‘It swelled our numbers to the point where we could regain control,’ Devine said.

Officers suffered bumps, bruises and scrapes, but no major injuries.