Weed whacker attack injures woman next door, assailant hurt, too, say cops near Boston
(CBS) MEDFORD, Mass. - Something was clearly out of whack in an alleged weed whacker attack involving neighbors in the Boston suburb of Medford, CBS Boston reports.
Precisely who whacked whom when isn't entirely clear.
Police say that Robert Tiernan got into an argument with his neighbors on Monday evening when they asked him to stop using his weed whacker for a few minutes.Tiernan refused and began kicking dirt and swinging the power tool at them. According to police, the weed whacker struck the woman in the arm and caused significant cuts and bruises.
The women's husband threw a beer bottle at Tiernan at some point during the scuffle. Tiernan claims that the man threw the beer bottle first, causing him to lose his balance and accidentally strike the woman with the weed whacker.
The busband told police that he threw the bottle after Tiernan hit his wife, in an effort to get him to stop.
Someone from the woman's house called 911 and several men who were at the house chased Tiernan from the scene on Broadway to Bond Street.
Police found Tiernan bruised and beaten with no shirt on and covered in blood. Tiernan alleges that the one of the men punched him in the face and the two others attacked him from behind.
The men who Tiernan accused of assaulting him told officers that they were chasing him only because they were afraid he would escape before the police arrived. They added that they only hit Tiernan out of self defense because he attacked them after they began chasing him.
Tiernan refused a trip to the hospital for treatment and was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon .
The man who threw the beer bottle at Tiernan will also be charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, police say. The other two men involved in the incident face lesser charges of assault and battery.