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WESTFIELD- One man appeared in Westfield District Court Tuesday for an early Saturday morning assault at a downtown bar, according to police and court records.
Nickolas Malo, 22, was arraigned in Westfield District Court for charges of assault and battery and disorderly conduct.
Officer Jared Rowe had been on a normal patrol shift at at 1:37 a.m. early Saturday when he was flagged down by two employees of The Maple Leaf Inn who said there was a serious altercation happening. When Rowe turned down the road to respond, he observed a group of men on the sidewalk with Malo punching another man in the face and head several times.
At some point during the incident, an officer deployed pepper spray to subdue one of the individuals in the altercation. A woman was unintentionally hit with the cloud of spray and required transport to Baystate Noble Hospital as a result, according to police records.
It is unclear what circumstances led up to the assault and if it began inside the bar or on the sidewalk where the group was discovered by Officer Rowe.
Officers Rowe and Saltmarsh were able to place Malo under arrest for the assault and disorderly conduct charges. Another involved part, Joshua Brown, 20, was arrested for simple disorderly conduct. According to the police report, a third individual left the scene before a trespass notice could be issued to him. Malo and Brown also received trespass notices.
Malo was released on his personal recognizance following the arraignment, pending a May 2nd pre-trial hearing.
