Week Before Shooting, Stoughton Police Broke Up Large Brawl Outside Whiplash

Stoughton Police, currently investigating a shooting which took place outside Whiplash early Sunday morning, also responded to the Wyman Street nightclub to break up a brawl the previous Sunday, April 14. 

Just before 1 a.m., police arrived to quell a fight. Stoughton Police Executive Officer Robert Devine said people were ejected from the club and started fighting outside, and officers "had to clean up the mess."

Devine described a scene of "chaos" where hundreds were outside. 

Police arrested five for their alleged roles in the brawl, and placed another in protective custody.

Bianca Johnson, 32, of Dorchester, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer; disorderly conduct; participating in an affray; and resisting arrest. She also had an outstanding warrant. Johnson tried to grab hold of Sgt. John Bonney's firearm before she was arrested. 

Desaray Grant, 20, of Hyde Park, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer; resisting arrest; disorderly conduct; participating in an affray; and assault and battery. Grant had to be "drive stunned" with a taser to bring her under control, Devine said. 

Tiliah Miles, 19, of Boston, was charged with assault and battery; three counts of assault; resisting arrest; and disturbing the peace. 

Komeal Hullum, 21, of Dorchester, was charged with assault and battery; disorderly conduct; participating in an affray; giving police a false name/social security number; and two counts of allowing another to use her license. 

Richard Nichols, 27, of Boston, was charged with disorderly conduct.

Canton, Randolph and the State Police had to provide mutual aid, Devine said. 

No officers were injured. 

"It's a credit to the officers working that they're able to quell [the fight] without anyone getting seriously hurt," Devine said. 

A week later, around 12:45 a.m. on April 21, Stoughton Police responded to a shooting outside Whiplash. 

"Stoughton Police Officers were already on scene and quelling a fight inside the nightclub when the shots rang out," according to a post on the Stoughton Police Department Facebook page. 

"One victim was found on the ground of the parking lot with serious injuries and was Med Flighted to Massachusetts General Hospital. An apparent second victim walked into another Boston area hospital with a wound to the leg later in the morning." 

The incident remains under investigation.

Last month, following an argument and physical altercation with another woman outside the club, around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 24, Shavell Winbush, 24, of Roxbury, was arrested for allegedly putting her car in motion and striking the other woman, who was in close proximity to the vehicle. 

Devine said the club has acts which are attracting a lot of people from the city to the suburbs. 

Police have had to clear the lot outside Whiplash "many times," Devine said, and that it is a drain on resources. 

In regards to the April 14 brawl, Devine said "it's important to note none of these people are Stoughton residents. These people aren't invested in the town." 

Whiplash isn't the only club/bar where police have been called to respond to an incident. Stoughton Police arrested a pair from Brockton for a fight which took place outside Charl's in the downtown on April 7. 

The "baby shower brawl," on Jan. 12 at Club Luis de Camoes on Porter St., resulted in the arrests of four from Brockton, including one juvenile. 

Devine said it is important for the bar owners to have paid police details in place (he said the businesses should be responsible for paying for the details, not the taxpayer), and police have imposed the hiring of such details at Whiplash. 

Devine said there were two police details at Whiplash this past weekend, in addition to the other officers who ended up responding to the club. 

In answering questions about the April 14 fight at Whiplash, Devine said police are "taking [these] incidents seriously."

"The police department is not going to sit idly by as town is turned into boxing ring for people from out of town," he said. 

"My officers are being put at risk."