Maybe it was a knife, maybe it was a broken bottle, but a melee at a Theater District club ended with three slashed or stabbed

Police officers called to a fight at Tunnel on Stuart Street early one morning last October were frisking a suspect who might have slashed a man's forehead open when they discovered he'd apparently been stabbed himself. And then another disturbance erupted and by the time they quelled that, they found a third man outside dripping blood from fresh cuts to his hand and forearm.

Police and the club appeared before the Boston Licensing Board this morning for a hearing on what exactly happened around 1:50 a.m. on Oct. 18.

When a fight broke out, bouncers quickly managed to break it up and a manager went outside with his flashlight and flagged down an officer. Police quickly identified a suspect and were in the process of frisking him when they discovered a small stab wound to his lower back. And then fighting began again on a club stairwell, police say.

Police did not find a knife, but did find plenty of glass and broken bottles. Tunnel's attorney and a manager said the club uses metal detectors and pat downs to ensure nobody brings weapons in, so it's possible the combatants picked up some of the glass to use in their attacks.

A bar manager said there had been no problems earlier in the evening

The board will consider the case on Thursday, to determine if the club should have done anything differently that might have prevented the spilling of blood.