City Closes Holiday Inn's 'Night Games' Lounge In Response to Fight

The city of Somerville has closed the Holiday Inn's "Night Games" lounge indefinitely after a large early morning fight on Friday, according to an announcement from the mayor's office.

According to the announcement, the city's Inspectional Services Division, which investigated the lounge after the fight, discovered "several 'life and safety' violations related to the building's backup systems."

As a result, the city suspended the lounge's operating permit indefinitely, and all events at the lounge have been canceled until further notice, the announcement says.

The Somerville Licensing Commission is expected to review the lounge's alcohol and entertainment licenses at its January meeting, currently scheduled on Jan. 23. The Licensing Commission may consider revoking, suspending or modifying the licenses, according to the announcement.

'Several skirmishes had broken out'

The fight, involving 10 to 12 women, started shortly after midnight on Dec. 28, according to a police report, and police dispersed a crowd of over 100 people after breaking up the melee. Due to the size of the crowd, Medford and state police were called in to assist Somerville police.

Police arrested two women, 21-year-old Daphne Evans and 20-year-old Shaneze Franklin, both of Dorchester, in connection to the fight. Both were charged with participating in an affray.

According to a police report, police observed "a large crowd milling about in the parking lot" of the Holiday Inn and "several skirmishes had broken out prior to our arrival."

As police monitored the scene, "a heated argument started among seveal females that quickly escalated into a fight among 10-12 females," the report says.

According to the report, Evans charged past a police officer to join the fight and began punching and kicking along with others involved.

Police arrested Evans. Franklin wouldn't leave the area until they let Evans, her friend, go, the report says. Franklin was then placed under arrest.

Later that morning, another scuffle, possibly connected to the Holiday Inn incident, broke out in the Hess gas station nearby, across the border in Charlestown. There were reports of shots fired, and Boston police were investigating the incident, according to the Boston Herald.

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