Hundreds of people came out for a beach brawl in Plymouth over the weekend — something the town is trying to prevent in the future.
Police in Plymouth, Massachusetts, are investigating a large fight reminiscent of the movie "Fight Club" that was captured on video at White Horse Beach over the weekend.
The wild scene concerned a lot of people in Plymouth, which has worked to change the reputation of the beach, and with Memorial Day and the start of summer less than a week away.
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Police said they received a call at 3 p.m. Sunday for a fight going on at the beach. Patrol officers arriving at the scene saw a large crowd that quickly dispersed, according to Capt. Kevin Manuel. But there were no witnesses who said they had seen any sort of a fight and nothing was found at the scene.
After the fact, Manuel said it came to light that there were several videos and photos that showed a large fight that had been organized for the beach, "like a fight club."
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Video purportedly taken at the scene shows two men circled by a crowd of people. The two men appear to be wearing boxing gloves, and can be seen repeatedly throwing punches at each other while the crowd follows them as they move across the beach.
"There was all sorts of underage drinking. They was smoking pot. The neighborhood was just completely engulfed with people," said Betty Cavacco, a member of the Plymouth Select Board.
Police said they have never received reports of anything like this happening in Plymouth in the past. But White Horse has had a reputation as the place to party in the summer -- it was declared Massachusetts' best party beach by WBCN in the late 80s
"Years ago there were fights down here a lot, but that’s all been cleaned up by the police," neighbor Nancy Gallagher said.
The incident comes days before the start of new parking rules designed to discourage out-of-town beachgoers.
Police are looking closely at video to see if they recognize anyone, although it’s unclear what kind of charges they might bring, if any.
"There’s no specific law that says you can’t box on a beach. You know, people throw a football, people can box," police Chief Michael Boteiri said, adding, "It’s definitely not something we want to see."
Manuel said if the investigation does turn up something, those involved could be charged with several counts, including assault and battery.
About 80 miles south of Plymouth, eight people were arrested after a brawl broke out at Narrangansett Town Beach in Rhode Island on Sunday afternoon. There was no immediate word on whether the two incidents are connected in any way.
