Officers Brawl With Suspect in Back Bay Bar

A fight between police and a patron broke out in a Back Bay bar early Sunday morning.

Boston Police officers responded to a radio call for an assault and battery in progress at Cleary’s Bar at 113 Dartmouth Street at 1 a.m. on January 6.

Upon arrival, a door staff member told police that a white male had just punched another door staff worker in the head and walked away on Dartmouth Street. The staff member pointed out the individual.

Officers approached the individual who was sitting next to a female.  The officers observed that the suspect kept his hands in his pockets. Officers asked the suspect to remove his hands from his pockets, so as to make sure that the suspect was not reaching for a weapon. Officers were not close enough to physically remove his hands from his pockets, so officers reached across the table towards the suspect. The suspect reportedly stiff-armed the officers.

Officers took the suspect to the ground at this point, where a struggle ensued. Officers tried to get the suspect to place his hands behind his back, which the suspect violently resisted. Officers administered several knees and punches to the suspect, in hopes of gaining control of his hands.

At one point, the officers were able to get the suspect onto his back, but the suspect began flailing his arms, making it impossible to cuff him. The suspect reportedly attempted to pull one of the officer’s service batons off of their belts, but the officers were able to subdue the suspect by administering physical force.

Officers decided that the fight had gone on long enough and drew their pepper spray cans, threatening to spray the suspect if he continued to resist arrest. At this point, the suspect gave in and allowed officers to cuff him.

After the suspect was placed in the patrol wagon, officers went to speak with the initial victim. The victim stated that they had removed the suspect from the bar because he was causing a problem. The suspect then punched the door staff member in the head/face and reentered the bar.

Officers charged Steffen Johnson of 7002 Normandy Drive, Fort Riley, KS with assault and battery, resisting arrest, assault and battery on a police officer and disorderly conduct.