A "mosh pit" formed during a "battle of the bands" and patrons in the pit were dancing violently and throwing punches at each other, police said.
PALMER - Police are investigating an incident in which a 53-year-old male bouncer from Palmer suffered a serious injury to his eye during a scuffle with a 21-year-old Northampton man during a tornado benefit concert at Crossroads bar on Route 20 on July 1.
Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said there was a "battle of the bands" inside the bar, and a "mosh pit" formed, which concerned the staff, as the patrons in the pit were dancing violently and throwing punches at each other.
The bouncer identified one of the dancers who was particularly aggressive in his moves, and that prompted a fight between the bouncer and patron, resulting in the patron jamming either his thumb or finger in the bouncer's eyeball, Frydryk said. The incident was reported at 10:30 p.m.
"Because of the seriousness of the injury and because it was intentional rather than accidental, we have initiated a criminal investigation," Frydryk said.
Frydryk said the bouncer may have lost his vision in that eye, and had to undergo emergency surgery.