"Everyone Was Fighting" - Police Release Redacted Reports On Christmas Stroll Brawl

No one has been criminally charged for their involvement in the brawl that broke out on Federal Street during the 51st Nantucket Christmas Stroll event earlier this month, and it appears that it will stay that way, according to police reports obtained by the Current through a Freedom of Information Act request.

In the heavily redacted incident reports written by the responding police officers, the witnesses and those directly involved in the fracas described a chaotic scene that began inside The Boarding House restaurant, which was crowded with people celebrating the annual event, and then spilled out onto Federal Street. Multiple 911 calls reported the fight to the Nantucket Police.

The brawl apparently started after a woman inside The Boarding House was struck by a man at the bar.

An individual who spoke to the responding officers said that "due to the Boarding House being crowded, she accidentally bumped into (redacted) in which (redacted) requested she stop pushing up against him in the bar. She then stated (redacted)'s friends began to get aggressive."

Another witness told police "that man in the white hat 'full extended, knocked her in the face and it went nuts'."

"Everyone was fighting," another person said.

People involved in the melee were strangled, punched, slapped, and thrown to the floor, according to the reports. An involved party told police that one of the aggressors "threatened to kill him."

It's unclear from the reports whether the man intentionally struck the woman inside the restaurant.

"(Redacted) was asked if the man in the white hat purposely meant to hit the female, he stated (t)he man in the white hat didn't see who he was hitting," one of the reports states, referencing a witness interview. "He stated that the female was not aggressive and that she was just trying to get something from the bar."

According to one of the reports, surveillance footage from inside the restaurant has not yet been turned over to the police, however, a Boarding House representative told the Current that all of the restaurant's recordings of the incident have been provided to the authorities.

While no one is identified in the reports due to the redactions by the Nantucket Police Department, one of the involved parties told officers that "he has a house on Nantucket and has been on the island for approximately 20 years."

What is clear from the reports, however, is that no one will be charged for their actions during the brawl.

"At this time, this case remains under investigation as the primary aggressor cannot be determined, and no involved parties wish to pursue criminal charges," Nantucket Police Department officer Kelly Mayette wrote. "(redacted) stated she made the final decision not to pursue criminal charges and wishes to move on from this incident. Upon requesting (redacted)'s contact information, she refused to provide it."

Read the complete redacted police reports by clicking here.

See the video of the brawl obtained by the Current below: