Armed men stop Walmart parking lot fight described as 'Western shootout'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
A fight that a judge compared to "an old Western shootout" in the parking lot of a Maine Walmart ended after two men pulled out their own guns and ordered the suspects to stop, police said Monday.
Daniel Chavanne says he was one of the armed bystanders who broke up the fight at the Augusta Walmart @WCSH6 @WLBZ2 pic.twitter.com/5by55w2ArM
— Chris Costa (@ChrisCostaTV) June 27, 2016
Police arrested four people in connection with the fight in Augusta. They said one of the four, 45-year-old Kweasia "Reggie" McBride, had cuts on his head, but nobody was injured by gunfire. Police also said they seized more than 40 grams of heroin.
McBride faced charges including drug trafficking. The fight apparently involved drug money, the Kennebec Journal reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
One of the men who jumped into action stopping the fight said his reaction was "automatic." Truck driver Daniel Chavanne told WCVB he heard four shots and wanted to protect his wife, mother and kids who were with him in their car.
"[I] got out with my sidearm and approached, identified that I had a firearm, ask for them to break it up," he said. "There would have been at least one body. They would not have stopped if they weren't stopped."
He said another man with a gun raced in to help him stop the fighting. Chavanne's mother reportedly called 911 from their car.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Police said both men were legally allowed to carry their weapons in plain sight. "They were just people at Walmart, shopping," Lt. Christopher Massey told the newspaper.
"This sounds like an old Western shoot-out out in the Wal-Mart parking lot and obviously can’t be countenanced," Justice Robert Mullen said.
Two other suspects, 27-year-old Frankie Dejesus and 28-year-old Diana Davis, face aggravated assault charges. Samantha Tupper, 24, faces charges including furnishing drugs.