The brawl outside Coyote Crossing two weeks ago was actually worse than what was originally reported here a couple of weeks ago. From today's editions of the Daily Local News (no direct web link could be found):
A dispute between Coyote Crossing patrons and employees recently ignited a 100-person riot outside the borough bar, forcing police to use pepper spray and batons to calm the disturbance, according to reports.
Police said six people were arrested on multiple charges for their involvement in the riot, which occurred after the bar closed on Jan. 28.
Police provided the following account of the incident:
A West Chester patrol officer was walking in the unit block of South Walnut Street when she heard yelling and screaming from the front of Coyote Crossing, located in the 100 block of East Market Street, at about 2:10 a.m.
The officer responded to the front of the bar, where she saw several Coyote Crossing employees attempting to back away from Enun A. Ajong. The officer said Ajong, 27, of Chester, was trying to punch the bar’s bouncers and anyone else who approached him. Ajong was also swinging a set of keys and trying to hit people.
The officer told Ajong, who was described to be about 6 feet tall and 300 pounds, to stop and get on the ground, but Ajong ignored her command and started swinging at her. Another officer arrived and ordered Ajong to stop, but Ajong would not get on the ground.
Police used pepper spray on Ajong and even struck his legs with a baton, but nothing would calm the man down. He continued to try to punch the officers and hit them with his keys.
Ajong was eventually taken to the ground, where police said he continued to resist their orders.
He was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, obstructing administration of law, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.
Police also said Ajong’s actions fueled the riot, as others began fighting and resisting police orders.
While police were trying to arrest Ajong, Ajong’s girlfriend, Danielle T. Foxwell, interfered with police, placing herself between an officer and Ajong.
Foxwell, 24, of Media, grabbed an officer’s arm, but the officer was able to get her on the ground and arrest her. She was charged with obstructing administration of law, riot and disorderly conduct.
Also during the riot, John E. Candelas-Bush, with several others, tried to prevent officers from arresting other individuals.
Police said Candelas-Bush, 23, of Philadelphia, ignored police orders to leave the area and approached officers while they were trying to make arrests. He also left the area, but soon returned to try to photograph officers with his cell phone.
He was arrested and charged with riot, obstructing administration of law and failure to disperse upon official order.
Heather Lynn Wills and John Iannucci III were also arrested for trying to prevent officers from making arrests.
Wills, 24, of Media, repeatedly tried to stop police from arresting Candelas-Bush, but police pushed her away and arrested her. Iannucci, 25, of Media, tried to stop police from arresting Wills.
Wills was charged with riot, failure to disperse upon official order and obstructing administration of law.
Iannucci was charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing administration of law, failure to disperse upon official order and riot.
Also, Paul N. Onofrio, 24, of Newtown Square, was charged with failure to disperse upon official order for not leaving the area and repeatedly trying to photograph officers with his cell phone.
The individuals were arraigned by Magisterial District Justice Theodore P. Michaels in Phoenixville District Court. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 16 in West Chester District Court.
Note that none of these individuals appear to be of college age, nor were any of those arrested residents of Chester County, much less from West Chester. So, at least in this case, that's one time that the arguement about college students causing major problems doesn't exactly fly (not to say that this disproves the theory, but still).
Coyote Crossing and it's next door neighbor Baxter's have been major problems for the immediate neighborhood almost since it opened its doors just a couple of years ago. While nobody seemed to want to say it publicly (or privately), the impression that I got from Borough Council was that those two bars, along with 15 North Cafe, and the major problems that have been associated with those bars over the past year, were one of the primary reasons why the license for Bar Blue II , LLC to open the Market Street Theater at 142 E Market St was rejected.
At least last weekend was relatively quiet, except for a purse snatching at Baxter's in which the victim was reported to have had a "chemical imbalance" and was reportedly unconsious when police arrived. Inital reports implied that the victim was assaulted as part of the robbery, but that was not the case. Other than that, it was a quiet weekend; hopefully this weekend will be just as quiet...
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