Fitchburg man arrested after bar fight in Lunenburg

LUNENBURG » Officers were called to a bar and grill on Lakefront Avenue Saturday night on a report of a fight involving five to six people and arrested a Fitchburg man for allegedly starting the fight, according to police and court documents.

When the first responding officer arrived at On The Rocks a large group of people scattered. When he got out of his cruiser, several people started yelling, “that’s him… the stumbling one” and “he’s ripping things off of cars” while pointing at a man “stumbling” away, later learned to be David Clarkson, 32, of Sanborn Street, Fitchburg, the reporting officer said.

The officer walked up to Clarkson and asked him what was going on and Clarkson didn’t answer and continued walking and the officer grabbed his arm to stop him and could tell Clarkson appeared drunk, was slurring his words and struggling to stay upright, the officer reported, adding that as he pat frisked him, Clarkson asked him what was going on.

After handcuffing him, while Clarkson was resisting by pulling away and sticking his arms straight out while facedown on the pavement, additional officers arrived and they spotted another disturbance in the bar and grill, the officer reported.

Once the situation was under control, the officer with Clarkson determined after speaking with several witnesses that Clarkson and another man had gotten into a fight which started inside but quickly went outside, when a bouncer began breaking up the fight, Clarkson began falling backwards and the bouncer tried to catch him, the officer reported.

However, Clarkson thought the bouncer’s help was a threat and took a swing at him striking him in the face; he swung again but missed, the officer reported.

The officer also learned seconds after missing the punch, Clarkson pulled the hubcap off a car in the parking lot and threw it at the other vehicles, he reported.

While Clarkson was being taken back the station for booking, he was “extremely” belligerent and when asked about taking an breathalyzer test, he yelled, “absolutely (expletive) not,” the officer reported.

Clarkson was charged with assault and battery, resisting arrest, defacing property, and disorderly conduct, according to court documents.

When arraigned in district court, Clarkson, who pleaded not guilty, was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from On The Rocks, the complaining witness and to return to court on June 22 for a pretrial hearing.