Two men are facing criminal charges after an incident at a largely peaceful demonstration at Five Corners Monday afternoon that included verbal and physical altercations.
Eric Woods, 66, of Vineyard Haven, has been charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery after allegedly using hate speech and throwing a punch at a protester, according to Tisbury police and a report filed in court.
Caleb Murray, 27, of Chilmark has been charged with disorderly conduct and malicious destruction of property after allegedly throwing a rock through the window of the truck owned by Mr. Woods, police said.
Mr. Murray was subsequently charged with two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, making terroristic threats and threatening to commit a crime after he became uncooperative en route to the police station and while in jail, according to a police report filed in Edgartown district court early Tuesday.
Mr. Murray was arraigned on charges of disorderly conduct, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer and threatening to commit a crime (arson). But district court-clerk magistrate Liza Williamson found no probable cause for charges of malicious destruction of property and making terroristic threats, based on the police report.
He is being held without bail, pending an available hospital bed for treatment, with a pretrial hearing set for July 31.
Mr. Woods has been released on his own recognizance with arraignment set for June 29, according to Tisbury police.
The incident began at approximately 6:30 p.m. Monday near the end of the demonstration at Five Corners that had attracted hundreds of peaceful protesters.
Mr. Woods became engaged in a verbal altercation with protesters on the Lagoon Pond Road as he exited the post office parking lot in his red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. According to the police report filed in court, Mr. Woods allegedly yelled a racial slur and made an obscene gesture.
Another individual, identified in the police report as a 19-year-old male, allegedly told Mr. Woods to stop being disrespectful. According to witness testimony gathered by police at the scene and filed in court, Mr. Woods got out of his truck and punched the individual through the driver-side window of his car.
The victim sustained a bump on his head, Tisbury police Sgt. Max Sherman said Monday, but was not treated at the scene for injuries.
After Mr. Woods returned to his truck and police arrived on the scene, someone threw a rock through the rear passenger window of the pickup truck, Sergeant Sherman said. The window shattered and glass spilled onto the road.
According to the police report, Sergeant Sherman heard glass break and saw Mr. Murray immediately “put his hand on his head and drop to his knees.”
Mr. Murray was immediately arrested, Tisbury police chief Mark Saloio said Monday. After gathering testimony, police then arrested Mr. Woods on the scene as well. Both were taken to the station, according to police, while other officers gathered witness testimony. According to the police report filed later, Mr. Murray “was seen smashing Woods window,” prompting the malicious destruction of property charge.
En route to the station, Mr. Murray became highly uncooperative, according to the police report, spitting twice on officer Mike Cutrer who was making the transport. Officer Cutrer asked Oak Bluffs police for assistance, and transported Mr. Murray to the Edgartown house of correction. According to the report, Mr. Murray became uncooperative again, cutting himself and the sheriff’s deputies. He was taken from the jail to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for evaluation, police said.
Mr. Murray is the son of the actor and comedian Bill Murray, whose name is listed in court documents along with his mother Jennifer Murray.
On Monday, Sergeant Sherman said onlookers at the scene had remained calm during the altercation. He said there were no further incidents, and the protest peacefully dispersed about half an hour later.
Comments
Comment policy »