Several injured in fights on Massachusetts Street around bar-closing time

Posted by Sara Shepherd

December 18, 2017 at 12:27 p.m.

Several people were hurt — punched and apparently cut by "edged weapons" — in fights around bar-closing time early Sunday in downtown, Lawrence police said. Police took three reports in a 20-minute span, from fights that reportedly happened in the same general area of Massachusetts Street.

• About 1:40 a.m., police responded to a reported fight in progress near the intersection of Eighth and Massachusetts streets, Officer Derrick Smith said in an email. Two men and a woman reported being battered by an unknown male or males and said that the fight was unprovoked, Smith said.

The men said they were punched several times and had “obvious signs of injuries to their faces,” Smith said. One man also sustained a hand injury believed to have come from “an edged weapon,” Smith said. The woman said her knee was hurt from being pushed to the ground, Smith said. All three victims were either cleared by medics or refused medical treatment at the scene, Smith said.

• About 1:45 a.m., police responded to the 1000 block of Ohio Street for a report of a disturbance with weapons. Smith said a woman there said she was hurt while trying to break up a fight near Seventh and Massachusetts streets after leaving a bar.

The woman had two apparent wounds from an edged weapon and was taken to the hospital for injuries that required stitches, Smith said. Details about what happened weren’t very clear, however, as the woman was uncooperative and gave inconsistent descriptions during the investigation, Smith said.

• About 2 a.m., police investigated another altercation near the intersection of Eighth and Massachusetts streets, Smith said. A man had been punched in the face by an unknown person, causing his eye to swell “completely closed within minutes,” Smith said.

Smith said Monday morning that investigations of all three incidents were ongoing.

— I’m the Journal-World’s public safety reporter. Reach me by email at sshepherd@ljworld.com or by phone at 785-832-7187. I’m also on Twitter, @saramarieshep.

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Gene Ramp 6 months, 1 week ago

Why no mention of bars names or buildings involved????????????? What are you trying to hide?

Jennifer Harrison 6 months, 1 week ago

I think we all know what club they’re referring to the 700 block Massachusetts

Rick Masters 6 months, 1 week ago

The riff-raff at Merchants is not to be trifled with.

Joe Vaughan 6 months, 1 week ago

When is the city, the chamber and the merchant's association going to realize it is time for security cameras in Downtown Lawrence? Increased security is just a 21st Century reality in urban areas. More and more incidents of violence along Mass. Street could make it as unsafe as Westport in KCMO. If the proposed parking garages are built, the crime will follow.