Seventeen Arrested at Underage House Party in Hingham

Editor's Note: The following information was provided by the Hingham Police Department in a press release on Sunday, May 26. Where arrests are mentioned, they do not indicate conviction. 

Hingham police offers arrested nearly 20 youths Saturday night after responding to an underage drinking party on East Street in Hingham. 

Police responded to 342 East St. in Hignham near Side Hill Road after receiving a report of a disturbance. Upon arrival, the first officer on scene observed six to eight vehicles in the road near the residence, according to Hingham Police.

Police say as soon as one of their officers got out of his cruiser to investigate the party, at least one glass beer bottle was thrown at him and he called for assistance. The officer then called more Hingham officers and several members of the Cohasset Police Department.

Loud noises could be heard in a yard nearby, and the officer on scene observed people who appeared to be under 21 years old with alcohol. 

Hingham and Cohasset police officers saw several youths run into the woods and found numerous plastic drinking cups, open beer cans, shattered beer bottles and unopened beer in the yard near the area in which the bottles had been thrown, according to Hingham Police. 

Several fled into a barn in the back yard of the home, and were found on the second floor among numerous unopened and spilled beer cans, as well as a ping pong table with spilled beer, plastic cups and empty beer cans. 

A total of 16 youths aged 17-20 years were arrested and charged for being minors in possession of transporting alcoholic beverages and disturbing the peace. A 21-year-old individual was also arrested. 

Weymouth Police responded to the scene with a prisoner transport van to assist in transporting the large number of arrests. All were booked at the Hingham Police Department and were released on personal recognisance for arraignment in Hingham District Court on Tuesday, May 28. Four vehicles were towed, as well. 

Officers later spoke with the home owner, who had been home at the time of the incident. A criminal complaint was issued against the homeowner, William Hacking, 51, of Hingham, for allowing alcohol to be delivered to minors (also known as the state's Social Host Law), being the keeper of a noisy and disorderly house and disturbing the peace.