Guy went looking for a fight at an East Boston restaurant and he found one - and lost

A man spent 45 minutes wandering the floor of La Chiva, 259 Bennington St. in East Boston on July night, looking to provoke a fight. He finally succeeded - and promptly got punched out - police and the restaurant's owner told the Boston Licensing Board this morning.

At a hearing on the citation police issued for "assault and battery patron on patron," restaurant owner Roberto Angulo said the guy came in and began "walking around the restaurant, up and down and he was looking for a fight," around midnight on July 9.

Angulo acknowledged he probably should have called police earlier than he did, because he appeared drunk and wasn't ordering anything, but said he did call once it looked like he was going from simply verbally haranguing people to provoking a physical fight. Before police could arrive, "three guys took him outside and they punched him," he said.

When police arrived, they found the guy with "a severe laceration" above one eye. His alleged puncher and his two friends did not wait for police to arrive.

The board decides Thursday whether La Chiva could have done anything to prevent the punch and, if so, whether any sanctions are merited.