AMHERST — Unlike the spring and fall weekends, when parties and disturbances are a regular part of life in a college town, summer weekends tend to be more tranquil in most Amherst neighborhoods.
That was not the case early last Sunday morning, though, when police were called to a gathering with hundreds of people on Sunset Avenue, at the southern edge of the University of Massachusetts campus, that later migrated to Sunderland Road in North Amherst.
Beginning at 12:16 a.m., several Amherst Police officers responded to 140 Sunset Ave. to deal with a party featuring loud music and people consuming alcohol, and placed two party-goers in custody.
The first arrest was Shane T. Murphy, 21, of Springfield, who was holding an open bottle of brandy and riling up people in the crowd, said Amherst Detective Gregory Wise.
Murphy was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, violating the town’s open container bylaw, violating the town’s noise bylaw and assault with a dangerous weapon, Wise said. Even after handcuffs were put on him, Murphy allegedly reached for a 12-inch kitchen knife hidden in his waistband and attempted to pull it out, Wise said.
Imani Ruth Stevens, 20, of 34 The Hollow, was also arrested at the scene on charges of violating the noise and nuisance house bylaw, Wise said.
While some party-goers stayed on Sunset Avenue even an hour later, most headed toward Fearing Street and neighborhoods north of the campus, playing loud music as they walked and drove from the location.
At 1:41 a.m., officers responded to a fight reported in the area of Puffton Village, 1040 North Pleasant St. People holding a small party informed officers that the fight began when they were confronted by people looking for another place to party.
By 2:10 a.m., those at the original Sunset Avenue party made it to Sunderland Road. Officers found some people gathered in the middle of the street, drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and obstructing traffic.
A person on Sunderland Road also told police he suffered a tooth injury after someone punched him in the face.
Police Chief Scott Livingstone said because of prior arrests, both at the original party site and from a downtown altercation, there were not enough officers available to break up the gathering, prompting Amherst Police to contact both UMass Police and State Police to assist with dispersing people from Sunderland Road.
Livingstone adds that it was unusual to have so much activity on a summer night and that he isn’t sure what prompted it.
In the midst of the neighborhood disturbances, police were called to the sidewalk outside a downtown bar where a fight was taking place between three men at 1:29 a.m.
Arrested on charges of disorderly conduct were Cuong T. Ly, 32, of 34 Pleasant St., Easthampton, Zachary L. Mavrogiannis, 26, of Dover, and Jonathan P. Spencer, 34, of 497 East Pleasant St., Apt. 148, Wise said. Spencer was also arrested on a charge of possession of cocaine, Wise said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com
