Framingham Shelter Attack Leads To Mayhem Arrest

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A fight on Saturday at a Framingham shelter left one man with a face injury and another arrested and charged with mayhem and assault. Police said an argument over a toilet in the shelter not being flushed escalated to a fight — the arrested man may have used a hammer during the brawl, police said.

Police arrested Dane Howard on Saturday after a fight broke out at the emergency shelter on Merchant Road. When the issue of the unflushed toilet came up between Howard, who was staying at the shelter, and another resident, punches were thrown on both sides, police said. Things escalated when Howard used a hammer to hit the man in the face, police said — police aren't sure how many times the man was hit.

Other residents were inside of the shelter at the time but no one else was reported injured.

At Howard's arraignment, prosecutors described the victim as severely injured with, "blood pouring out from around his head and mouth," the MetroWest Daily News reported. The outlet said police suspected the hammer was used, although Howard denies it, because it was spotted at the scene with "blood and flesh" on it.