Politics & Government

Liquor License Hearing for Dave & Buster's After Alleged Assault, Public Drinking Incidents

The hearing will take place at Braintree Town Hall at 2 p.m. on Jan. 24.

will face a hearing in front of the Board of License Commissioners next week after Braintree police reported two crimes at the newly-opened restaurant and arcade earlier this month.

On Saturday night, Jan. 7, two men from Weymouth and Roslindale on charges of assault and battery and disorderly conduct after allegedly getting into a fight propelled by a decade-old feud. That same night, a police officer said that he saw a man holding a Dave & Buster's souvenir glass containing what appeared to be alcohol in the parking lot after closing time.

Following those reports, and in accordance with Massachusetts General Law, the license board will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on the lower level of on Jan. 24 to determine if Dave & Buster's all-alcohol license should be modified, suspended or revoked, or if the facility did not violate liquor law.

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with 150 amusement games after a months-long process involving various Braintree boards and the criticism of some in the community who argued the restaurant and arcade would be a draw for crime and underage drinking. Several town officials have since pointed to the Jan. 7 fight as an example of a so-far successful security operation.

Sergeant Michael Want was working a detail paid by Dave & Buster's at about 11 p.m. that night when a patron approached him and another officer and told them two men were fighting in the arcade area, according to a police report. The officers broke up the fight and took the suspects into custody, placing one in officer David Jordan's patrol car.

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Massachusetts General Law says that local liquor boards may take action on a licensee if they have "violated or permitted a violation." Previous hearings before the Braintree license board, such as the one , have shown that businesses are much more likely to be penalized if they fail to inform police about illegalities on their premises. In this case, officers were immediately notified.

Officer Jordan also comes into play concerning the second potential violation. He was outside of Dave & Buster's at closing time later that night because of the capacity crowd, according to a second police report filed early the next morning. Jordan noted that a man standing with a group of patrons near his cruiser was holding a glass containing a colored liquid.

On further examination, Jordan wrote in his report, the souvenir glass, labeled "Dave & Buster's TNTea," appeared to contain an alcoholic odor and the man told Jordan that he carried the unfinished drink outside.

Another officer, Brian Cohoon, reported that he did not see anyone leave the restaurant with a glass, and the man later admitted to police that he concealed the glass in his armpit area under his clothing while exiting.


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