Unraveling the Big E’s bloody brawl with the Stanleys: The full story and key players | Entertainment

A bloody brawl at The Big E on Saturday amongst greater than a dozen folks has some distributors questioning the honest’s security after it left at the very least 4 folks hospitalized, two arrested, and induced a family-owned ski store to lose 1000's of {dollars} in merchandise.

While it wasn’t the first violent incident at the the 108-year-old, annual honest, it additionally wasn’t the first time the males accused of beginning the battle, James and Levi Stanley, have “created chaos” at the family-friendly occasion, in line with the West Springfield Police Department report obtained by MassLive.

The Stanleys, who're father and son, had been arrested on the spot Sept. 14 in connection with the brawl. Levi Stanley, 28, of Amherst, New Hampshire was charged with 4 counts of assault and battery, disorderly conduct and destruction of property over $1,200.

James Stanley, 48, of Haverhill, was charged with two counts of assault and battery, disorderly conduct and destruction of property over $1,200. He additionally confronted a cost of unarmed theft.

Both had been arraigned in Springfield District Court on Wednesday and every posted $1,000 bail. Both are slated to subsequent seem in court docket on Nov. 7.

How the battle began, what occurred

“From here, it looked like a ‘Looney Tunes’ cartoon with stuff just flying up and all over the place,” Jay Caswell recalled.

He, his spouse and daughter run a tie-dye attire sales space at The Big E referred to as My Stoner Friends. The stand is close to Gate 7 by Dolly’s Honky Tonk, proper throughout from The Colorado Ski Shop. They and numerous different households and kids had been mere ft away when the battle broke out by their store on the highway.

According to the police report, a T-shirt vendor neighboring Caswell’s sales space had been yelling at a gaggle of fairgoers for apparently stealing from his retailer.

Two witnesses noticed a gaggle of individuals bounce the vendor and carry him to the floor. James Stanley kicked him in the face a number of instances whereas he was down, police mentioned.

Hearing the yells and onlookers’ screams, Caswell ushered his household and clients again inside his store.

“By the time I turned around, they were already rolling across the street and ended up rolling into my neighbor’s booth,” Caswell instructed MassLive on Wednesday.

“[My neighbor] got involved because he had families in there with little kids, he didn’t want them getting hurt… but he’s an older gentleman and he’s on the ground, and they’re kicking him. It’s not necessarily my nature to jump into something like that, but I can’t let that happen either,” he mentioned.

That was about when Caswell mentioned his spouse ran to search out safety whereas he went to assist get the 5 or so folks off his neighbor.

The T-shirt vendor, damage, was helped again into his store by one in all the witnesses, whom James Stanley punched in the face as she tried to interrupt up the battle, police mentioned.

Caswell averted the hits and as soon as his neighbor was secure, returned to his sales space to see the brawl billow over into The Colorado Ski Shop.

That’s when ski masks, jackets, pants, bicycles and different merchandise started to fly by means of the air like a kids’s cartoon, Caswell mentioned. An enormous crowd of screaming onlookers watched as fists linked with eye sockets and folks fell to the floor.

The Colorado Ski staff tried to cease the brawlers from getting inside the retailer. But they had been engulfed in the battle, police mentioned.

One of the staff was jumped on and crushed by Levi Stanley whereas he was already on the floor, police mentioned, after the Stanley son already kicked one other particular person in the head. Two extra Ski Shop staff had been additionally named as victims in the report.

The 5 victims variously suffered a damaged orbital, damaged noses, concussions, and cuts and bruises to the again of their heads and faces, in line with the police report.

In the aftermath, blood lined folks and the floor. More than $1,500 price of merchandise from The Colorado Ski Shop was misplaced on account of the blood, broken, or presumably stolen, police mentioned.

At round 6:20 p.m., a member of the Ski Shop sales space referred to as the police to report her worker’s telephone was lacking and was pinging in the space of the West Springfield Police Department.

The officers discovered the cellphone and the man’s watch on James Stanley at the station. And a witness mentioned they watched James Stanley take it from the worker throughout the commotion.

On Wednesday, 4 vendor staff working in the space of the battle had visibly black eyes.

The Stanley household and The Big E

While they by no means got here into his store, Caswell mentioned the group of 15 or so fairgoers he noticed combating had been aggressive from the begin.

“It felt like they came here looking for trouble,” Caswell mentioned. “It’s one guy jumping in to help somebody, and it’s suddenly, somehow, three more guys on top of him.”

According to the police report, the Stanley household is understood to the West Springfield Department for inflicting points, reminiscent of a staged battle, as diversions to steal from distributors at The Big E yearly.

“The West Springfield Police Department has yearly interactions with the Stanley family during the entirety of The Big E. These individuals are documented causing unprovoked disturbances/fights in large crowds,” the police report reads.

“In the midst of their created chaos, members of the Stanley family or ‘crew’ will take advantage of the distraction being caused by the disturbances, and steal various types of items from people while their attention is being drawn elsewhere,” the report reads.

The legal professional for the Stanley males didn't reply to MassLive for remark.

Both James and Levi Stanley had been charged with trespassing on The Big E grounds, incomes them a one-year ban on getting into the honest, the West Springfield Police Department mentioned. If they’re discovered on the grounds throughout that point, they are going to be instantly arrested, the division mentioned.

The Big E didn't reply to MassLive on whether or not a lengthier ban is perhaps imposed on James and Levi Stanley, given legislation enforcement’s consciousness of previous issues on the grounds, nor on how the present ban shall be enforced.

However, honest officers did present an announcement that referred to as the Stanleys’ arrests and battle on Saturday “an isolated incident.”

“Thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of our security team, the West Springfield Police Department and other law enforcement personnel, the situation was quickly and professionally contained,” the assertion learn. It added honest officers “commend [officers] for their rapid response and the discretion with which they managed the matter.”

“The safety of our guests remains our top priority, and we want to reassure the public that The Big E continues to be a safe, family-friendly environment. Our security team is well-equipped and adaptable, ensuring that any situation on the grounds is handled efficiently to maintain a positive experience for all attendees,” the assertion concluded.

The West Springfield Police Department mentioned Thursday arrests involving the Stanley males are “a closed case with no other charges pending.”

The distributors’ considerations

It took police about 5 minutes to reach and break up the scene, in line with Caswell and Cindy Decker, the supervisor of close by vendor Cell Phone Accessories.

While it was Caswell’s first 12 months at The Big E, Decker, of Florida, has arrange store at the honest for the final 24 years.

With her expertise at giant gala's in massive cities throughout the nation, Decker wasn’t notably shocked by Saturday’s show of violence.

“It doesn’t matter where you go. I do state fairs all over the country — I do probably 20 state fairs, in big cities also. Fights happen everywhere… unless there’s police right there, I think they responded [to the fight Saturday] quick enough,” Decker mentioned, including the officers at all times do “a great job” at The Big E.

Decker’s worker, who grew up in Western Massachusetts, mentioned violence at The Big E is nothing new to her. She recalled a stabbing that occurred when she was a highschool pupil, and mentioned it “still didn’t feel like it wasn’t safe.”

“But as a parent when I come here now, [I’m watching] just for drunk people that are fighting, to make sure I keep an eye that my kids don’t get ever caught in just the crowds in general,” Savannah Mullins mentioned.

Caswell has participated in music festivals throughout the Northeast, and mentioned there’s steps The Big E may take to assist distributors and fairgoers have a safer time.

The next quantity and presence of medics was on Caswell’s record. He additionally recommended a devoted emergency contact line particularly for distributors.

He felt his spouse shouldn’t have wanted to go discover an officer, as a five-minute battle is “long,” and that police must be posted at extra stations all through the honest.

The West Springfield Police Department mentioned all emergency calls that come from the honest are despatched to dispatch. Non-emergency calls are dispatched from The Big E police station.

A separate police channel and dispatch heart are on The Big E grounds, and the division can dispatch immediately from headquarters for emergencies.

As for patrols on the grounds, the West Springfield Police Department are supported by officers from Massachusetts State Police and the Sheriff’s workplace.

Externally, a slew of West Springfield officers cowl all 9 gates directing visitors, along with 4 to 6 officers on mountain bikes, 4 to 6 on bikes and two patrol vehicles for Memorial Avenue and surrounding areas.

For subsequent 12 months, Caswell mentioned he hasn’t been deterred from coming again. But he mentioned he hopes honest officers will take this 12 months’s occasions into consideration after they’re planning for occasion safety and public security.