'Whaling On His Head': Somerville Fight Leads To Assault Charge

SOMERVILLE, MA — A Haverhill man was arrested July 25 after beating another man until he lost consciousness and had a seizure, Somerville police said. Robert Carney, 44, was charged with aggravated assault and battery.

Officers were called to the College Avenue area for a fight around 2:25 a.m. and found a man on the ground having a seizure.

Meanwhile, Carney was in the street yelling at two bystanders that they should mind their business, and the man deserved it, police said. Carney was separated from the bystanders, who told officers they were riding their bikes through Davis Square when they heard yelling and moaning from around the corner, the police report stated.

They rode around the corner and saw Carney repeatedly punching the man in the head while he was walking toward the Davis Square T stop, police said. The man fell forward and appeared to be unconscious; however, Carney stood over him and continued to punch him in the head, the bystanders told police.

"The witnesses described it as just wailing [sic] on his head while he was unconscious," the police report stated.

Carney tried going after the bystanders, who were able to keep him at a distance with their bikes until officers arrived, police said. Carney told officers he did not know the man prior to the fight, but he "got what he deserved," according to the police report.

The man did not regain consciousness at the scene and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.