Two Springfield men faces charges after incident

Police arrested two Springfield men Sunday night after a series of disagreements led to an alleged incident downtown. Investigators said the situation was largely fueled by alcohol.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140610/NEWS02/706109989

Published June 10, 2014 in the Rutland Herald Two Springfield men faces charges after incident By ERIC FRANCIS CORRESPONDENT WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Police arrested two Springfield men Sunday night after a series of disagreements led to an alleged incident downtown. Investigators said the situation was largely fueled by alcohol. Ryan Millard, 36, pleaded innocent Monday in White River Junction criminal court to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and another of resisting arrest. Millard was followed minutes later by his alleged victim, John Johnston Jr., 33, who pleaded innocent to disorderly conduct as well as to a misdemeanor simple assault charge. Springfield Police Sgt. Jon Molgano wrote in his report that officers responded to an apartment building on Main Street shortly after 9 p.m. for a report of several intoxicated individuals arguing with each other and threatening a group that had gathered outside. Molgano said when he arrived no one was in sight, but Millard soon approached his cruiser with his hands raised in the air. He allegedly started making comments that Johnston, who was sitting on a nearby porch, needed to go inside or Millard was going to beat him up. Johnston told police he had made a joke about a friend of Millard’s being a “snitch” following a recent assault incident. After the joke, Johnston said Millard attacked him, “grabbed a hold of him, threw him to the ground, and started hitting him,” four or five times in the back of his neck. Molgano said that Johnston initially did not want to press charges. But police said that when Millard replied that he would not leave, Johnston changed his mind and said he would write out a complaint. Molgano wrote, “Millard told Johnston that doing that would just make it worse for him later.” Molgano said Millard then began swearing loudly and backed away, refusing a half-dozen attempts by officers to handcuff him before finally complying, all the while allegedly swearing at Johnston and issuing a stream of threats. Police were still in the process of booking Millard at the station when they were called back to Main Street for a report that Johnston had just broken a window during another disturbance. Johnston’s roommate told police that after they left, Johnston allegedly “continued being belligerent and extremely disrespectful” and threw a beer bottle at him, shattering the window behind (him) when he ducked out of the way. During Johnston’s arraignment, Judge Karen Carroll ordered a “no alcohol” condition as part of Johnston’s court-ordered conditions of pre-trial release.