Members of “The Squad” at Saturday’s participating in Saturday’s event at the Somerville Theatre. — Photo courtesy of Councilor At-Large Kristen Strezo

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to a Dover St. location last Saturday afternoon on reports of a fight that had started outside the Somerville Theatre in Davis Sq., the site of a speaking event featuring “The Squad” (U.S. Reps. Cori Bush, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez).

A protest organized by Donnie Palmer, a Republican congressional candidate challenging Pressley, had been taking place outside the theater.

Upon their arrival, the officers spoke with an alleged victim of an assault who stated that he was in Davis Sq. demonstrating against the group of politicians. While demonstrating, he had a dispute with an unknown female, with whom he has had prior altercations.

The alleged victim was later approached by four men stating that they were relatives of the unknown woman. According to the alleged victim, he and the four men began to argue. Then he said the four men assaulted him, knocking him to the ground, kicking and punching him, and hitting him with a flag pole belonging to a participant in the protest.

The officers observed the alleged victim to have multiple cuts and abrasions on his face and extremities. Police were shown a video that was recorded of the incident.

In the video, police observed four males, two of which were later identified as Andwain Coleman, of Cuyahoga, OH, and Foster Starks, of Cambridge, approach the alleged victim, who was filming. The other two males are as of yet unidentified.

In the video, the group of men appeared to accuse the alleged victim of assaulting a relative. The camera then began to jostle violently and people began shouting. The officers were unable to get a clear visual, but this is the point in the video that the alleged victim says he was knocked to the ground and assaulted by the group. There is a brief moment in the video where police observed a kick being thrown by an unknown party. The victim stated numerous times that the two males still on scene, Coleman and Starks, kicked him and hit him with a flag pole. The other two males fled the scene.

Police spoke with another alleged victim who stated he was also assaulted by this group of men. He provided police with a video of part of the incident. In the video, a fight between several people, including this alleged victim and Starks, was shown. During this altercation, the alleged victim appears to have been bitten in the shoulder by an unknown male. The flag pole is also seen laying on the ground during this fight.

Police spoke with Coleman and Starks. Both parties stated that the alleged victims and their group of protesters shouted racial slurs and attacked them, and that they were defending themselves. Police did not observe Coleman or Starks to have sustained any injuries.

Based on the video footage, visible injuries, and all statements gathered, including statements made by multiple witnesses, police placed Coleman and Starks under arrest for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot and flag pole).

While being placed into handcuffs, Starks and Coleman repeatedly stated that they did not feel the arrests were fair and that their side of the story was not heard. Police reportedly allowed them to explain their version of events several additional times. It was explained to them that they were being charged based on the evidence at the scene. They were subsequently transported to the Somerville Police Station and booked on the above-stated charge.

The alleged victims were transported to area hospital for treatment of their injuries.