By George P. Hassett

A dispute over shoveling on Derby Street during last week’s snow storm ended in six men fighting with  shovels and a baseball bat, police said.

On Dec. 27, after snow had fallen for 18 hours, John Murphy, 46, of 60 Derby St., allegedly hit a man with a baseball bat for shoveling snow onto his property.

Murphy told a group of men shoveling to stop pushing snow onto his property, police said. Murphy told police the men started throwing snowballs at him and he became irate and went inside his home to  retrieve a baseball bat.

Police said Murphy returned with the bat and started swinging it at the men. The men were able to block the bat with their shovels but one man was struck in the elbow, police said. The man had a large bruise and cut on his elbow and the bat was broken in half, police said.

The men chased Murphy into his home where he called police to report that he had been hit with a shovel. Murphy was cut on his lip but could not identify who shot him, police said. Police said Murphy was calm and wanted to apologize to the victim and put the incident behind him but the victim wanted to press charges.

Each of the men told police Murphy had come out of his home swinging the bat at them. Murphy was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.