Police, Paradise say pushy woman who was thwarted in effort to get to front of concert started Macing people

A petulant woman struggling to get to the front of a concert at the Paradise on Oct. 19 decided one way to clear her way was to get a small cannister of Mace out from her purse and start spraying the people around her, police and venue officials told the Boston Licensing Board today.

EMTs rushed to the scene to help numerous patrons sprayed in the face shortly after 9 p.m. during a concert bill that highlighted Yelawolf, BPD Det. Eddie Hernandez said at a hearing this morning. Hernandez said police found four people in the front of the club complaining of face and eye pain and several more in a men's room, trying to wash the stuff out of their eyes.

Club General Manager Lee Zazofsky said this was the first time in 40 years of running concerts that he's ever had to deal with a Mace attack. "It's an example of someone who didn't get their way and decided this was an appropriate mechanism," Paradise attorney Dennis Quility said.

In the ensuing commotion, Paradise officials and police say, the attacker, a 5'6" white woman in dark clothing, escaped.

Zazofsky said Paradise security was vigilant that night in checking bags and patting and wanding people, and gave the board a photo of some of the items staffers had confiscated - including several pepper-spray containers. He noted that pepper-spray cannisters now come in sizes small enough to fit on a key chain.

Four people who were sprayed that night attended the hearing to praise the Paradise for quickly coming to their aid - and calling them a couple days later to make sure they were OK.

The board decides Thursday what action, if any, to take.