Massachusetts

Video Shows Worcester Bar Brawl in Which Police Say They Were Assaulted

As the six people arrested in the attack faced a judge, one defense attorney said that video only shows "officers assaulting these individuals"

Video of a melee outside of a Worcester beer garden is making the rounds on social media.

Police say they were attacked while surrounded by a hostile crowd early Saturday morning, but a lawyer for one of the people arrested said Tuesday at a court hearing that it only appears that police were doing the attacking.

"There's no indication of anybody assssulting police officers," criminal defense attorney Elliot Savitz said. "But there is very clearly pictures of officers assaulting these individuals."

The video depicts a melee of people outside of Beer Garden on Franklin Street as officers attempt to control the crowd.

Prosecutors allege that multiple police officers were assaulted while trying to break up several fights at around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Officials said every police officer in the city was called to respond.

"Another officer appears on the scene, observes this defendant pulling the officers hair in an aggressive manner," said a prosecutor in Tuesday's arraignments.

Worcester police had said the bar was filled with hundreds of people and decided to close early for the night when the melee occurred. They said a female officer had a chunk of her hair pulled out, one officer was bitten and others were punched and kicked.

The six people arrested in connection with the melee appeared in Worcester District Court Tuesday to face their charges.

Five of the accused are charged with some form of assaulting a police officer, including Robert Gould, a decorated Air Force veteran who is being represented by Savitz.

Gould is innocent, Savitz said.

"He will tell you very clearly he didn't do anything," Savitz said. "He was down on the ground, had been hit from the back of the head or whatever. Was down on the ground and then he was hit over and over and over again by the police."

And while Savitz is only representing Gould, he disagrees with the prosecutors' allegations against all the defendants.

The others charged with assaulting an officer face various additional charges.

Octavia Miller is charged with assault and battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Christopher Ayala-Melendez is charged with assault and battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Monique Agbanyo is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Natalie Price is charged with assault and battery attempt to disarm a police officer, assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and police officer interfere with common law.

Gould is charged with two counts of assault and battery on a police officer,and resisting arrest.

Evan Baptiste is charged with attempt to commit a crime.

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