Mitchell Martinez, 23, pleaded innocent today to stabbing a Roxbury man to death early yesterday at Harvard and Brighton avenues. Martinez was ordered held without bail until a March 17 bail hearing.
Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum said Martinez was among a group of people who got involved in an altercation with another group around 1:45 a.m. on Harvard Avenue. Polumbaum said "Mr. Martinez went some distance" to fatally stab a member of the other group during what became a bloody brawl that left four other people with knife wounds.
Polumbaum added, "We don't know if anybody was in a bar [before the fight], but it's not a bar fight case."
In addition to murder, Martinez was also charged with assault and battery, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest and affray. Boston Police today identified the murder victim as Richard Bevens, 23, of Roxbury.
On Nov. 8, Gregory Phillips of West Roxbury was stabbed to death at the corner following an argument that began inside the Kells, police say.
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Comments
Que?
By Kaz
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 12:27pm
They don't know if the attacker or victim were in a bar, had met in the bar, had argued in a bar, had just left a bar...but it's definitely NOT a bar case.
Great detective work there, Lou.
To be fair ...
By adamg
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 12:31pm
I spoke to Polumbaum only very briefly. The bar issue came up because I asked him specifically if the case had anything to do with the Kells (not because I had any knowledge it did, but because people were so quick to blame them). And he said it was two groups that met outside (as opposed to the earlier murder, which prosecutors say did start as an argument inside the Kells). I changed one of the sentences in my post, hopefully to make it a bit clearer that prosecutors are alleging the fight started somewhere outside.
I wonder if maybe because the
By davem
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 1:29pm
I wonder if maybe because the Kells is being replaced so soon the police don't feel its necessary to find out if they were involved or not.
Or perhaps the Kells really is innocent here. There are other bars on Harvard that play "hip hop music" (Common Ground included, although there's not much in the way of dancing)
the common ground doesn't
By kt
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 3:58pm
the common ground doesn't have any hip-hop nights.
You do know that fights can
By anon2
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 6:52pm
You do know that fights can start outside of bars and on the street. The Kells is still courting a count not native to this area to Allston which might lead to issues, but they really shouldn't be pinned for other peoples actions.
If anything, this is another reason why getting rid of last call is a great idea.
Dumping a bunch of intoxicated meat heads onto small, bar patron packed streets at the same time will inevitably lead to confrontations. Especially with all the eateries open around that block, as everyone rushes the food joints.
I've seen it countless times. Lets them filter out on their own, and keep the packs to a minimum.
So
By Kaz
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 1:53pm
They didn't pick a fight while inside the Kells and then "take it outside"...at least, not so far as they know yet. I mean...if I tell you to step outside...then I "met you on the street". If I'm in the Kells partying and see you and have had a feud with you in which I said "if I ever see you again, I'll kill you" then it still started because we were both in the Kells together...and we're the kind of dumbasses who get into knife fights who just might see each other inside a bar that caters to us knife fighters...like the Kells has become.
My question is "if the Kells wasn't there, would this death have happened?". Maybe the attacker was getting an ice cream cone on the other corner when he saw the victim come out of the shabu shabu place up the road...and then followed him around for 8 hours until he finally attacked him at 2:30 AM just around the corner from a place like the Kells. Maybe.
It's irritating that Channel
By kt
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 12:34pm
It's irritating that Channel 5 and others made it sound like it came from the Common Ground when it didn't.
Misleading subject
By BlackKat
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 6:43pm
Damn and I thought your post was going to be about the old The Channel night club.
Incidentally there was no such thing as "take it outside" from The Channel's bouncers. They just tossed the offending parties into its namesake waterway.
Just a hunch, but...
By Jimmy
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 1:44pm
I think if the Kells was in any way involved in the death, the police and the media would be all over it. The fact that we don't hear them mentioned much in this case leads me to believe that there is very little in the way of evidence tying the Kells to this fight.
How about
By wench
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 7:48pm
putting the focus on the people who caused the problem? Like someone who carries a knife or people who start fights late at night on the sidewalk? Common Ground was the unfortunate victim of the media in this case. No one involved in the murder had any link to the business. They are (and have been for years) the most responsible servers of alcohol in that neighborhood. Don't blame businesses for something they had nothing to do with. I believe the media owes the Common Ground a big apology.
I totally agree
By kt
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 8:22pm
But that would be like getting blood out of a stone. They don't care who they hurt in their pursuit for getting people outraged and interested. The Common Ground's staff doesn't put up with anything, they can be assholes, but this is why. They need to be, so this doesn't happen.
I'm glad the BPD quickly announced that it wasn't a bar fight, instead of announcing it after everyone already forgot about the story and pegged the place as unsafe, which it isn't. I'm there a lot, and I've never felt unsafe. It's just hipsters and college kids having fun to ironic music.
Police action
By anon
Tue, 03/02/2010 - 2:23pm
Why don't we start looking at Boston police instead of which bar they happened to end up in front of and what police could have and should have been doing to prevent a situation like this..2 deaths in 4 months?!? When are they going to decide that this is a dangerous area and needs to have police on foot patrol? How many more young people have to die?
We love you Richie and you will be missed forever!
one of the groups were deff.
By anon
Wed, 03/03/2010 - 12:53pm
one of the groups were deff. NOT in the bar, enough of all this bar talk who cares, wat about the people hurt!! MITCHELL WAS ALSO A VICTIM!! HE'T NOT A COLD BLOODED MURDERER LIKE THEY MAKE IT SEEM!! NOBODY HAS THE FACTSS STRAIGHT!! IT NEEDS TO BE SHOWN...
then show it anon
By bostnkid
Thu, 03/04/2010 - 8:14am
if you know something then enlighten us.
Mitchell is innocent
By Sharon
Fri, 03/05/2010 - 10:41pm
Unfortunately Bevins group attacked Mitchell first, Mitchell only acted in self defense- it's sad that it ended in someone's death. Yes the facts need to be known. Maybe we need to know the criminal backgrounds of all parties involved- unfortunately our Justice system means no justice!
Self "defense"
By Kaz
Sat, 03/06/2010 - 1:08am
Well, I know that if I kill someone the first thing I'd want to do was get in front of it as "self defense"...
Unfortunately, it doesn't require KILLING SOMEONE to maintain a valid defense usually. So, you're going to have to explain what was so deadly about the other guy that it required killing him instead of leaving the situation faster.