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5 arrested after police-involved brawl outside Worcester bar

WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester Police said they were attacked Friday night while trying to break up several fights outside a bar.

At around 12:30 a.m., an officer at The Beer Garden saw a fight and called for help as hundreds of people were around the bar area of 68 Franklin Street. Officers said they were trying to move the crowd when an officer saw another fight.

"There are times when people are drinking, a fight breaks out … and people jump on an officer's back during a fight, it kind of spreads from there," said Worcester Police Lt. Sean Murtha.

"It can get out of hand very quickly."

Police said a female officer tried to stop a fight when Robert Gould, 33, allegedly pulled out a large chunk of the officer's hair. He then allegedly kicked another officer and refused orders to put his hands behind his back.

Witness Amanda Jackson said she recorded video when several of the fights started. She said the video showed police trying to break up fights, but she thought the officers were too aggressive toward two women.

“I feel like since the police came over, it was never a sense of securing the area or anything like that," Jackson said. "It was just a sense of breaking up the fight. Which to them, was tacking the two girls.”

"Once that happened, the whole street became just chaos."

Jackson said one of the women told her that she was trying to help her friend when she was allegedly grabbed by an officer.

"All we see from this side is the officer grab her and toss her on the ground," Jackson said.

Officers allegedly struggled with Gould as more people gathered. Natalie Price, 26, allegedly approached an officer who was trying to arrest another person. Price allegedly took the officer's baton and tried to give it to someone in the crowd. When the officer tried to stop her, Price allegedly bit the officer's bicep and struck blood.

Police said they believe they acted appropriately.

"One of the female officers got a chunk of her hair ripped out," Murtha said. "Another one had several human bites all along his arm."

Monique Agbanyo, 21, of Leicester, allegedly pushed through the large crowd and grabbed an officer who was trying to arrest someone. Agbanyo then allegedly punched another officer in the face before she was taken to the ground and arrested. She allegedly tried to kick officers in their faces and nearly struck one in their eye with her high heels.

More officers arrived and arrested Gould and Price. Soon after, Evan Baptiste, 20, of Oxford, was arrested after allegedly running up behind officers and trying to grab them.

“It was scary, it was scary because you didn’t know what was going to happen," Jackson said. "Police ended up coming toward the end with K9 dogs.”

A K9 dog allegedly bit Christopher Ayala-Melendez, 22, as he was being arrested after he allegedly shoved a K9 officer.

Octavia Miller, 25, allegedly approached officers and screamed at them after being told to stay back. She nearly struck an officer in the face while waving her fist in the air.

Worcester Police told Boston 25 News that a woman was swinging her arms near an officer's face while advancing toward him, which is considered assault.

Three officers were injured and taken to the hospital.

Five people were arrested and will be arraigned in Worcester District Court on Monday with the following charges:

  • Robert Gould: Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Assault and Battery, Resisting Arrest
  • Natalie Price: Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, Attempt to Disarm a Police Officer, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Disturbing the Peace, Interfering with a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct.
  • Monique Agbanyo: Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct.
  • Christopher Ayala-Melendez: Assault and Battery on a Police officer, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct.
  • Octavia Miller: Assault, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct.