A teenage lifeguard was stabbed and brutally beaten at a Massachusetts beach simply for warning an unruly group of revelers that drinking alcohol and smoking were against the rules.
The 17-year-old victim, who has not been identified, was on duty at Bell Pond in Worcester around 6:30 p.m. Sunday when he asked the men to either quit boozing and smoking or leave the park, Fox News reported Tuesday.
According to Worcester police, several members of the group heeded the warning and left, but one man became “verbally aggressive” with the teen.
The man later returned in a smaller group brandishing a knife and stick and brutally set upon the lifeguard, who had to be taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Three suspects were later arrested for the savage daylight attack.
Celestine Bigirimana, 22, was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, trespassing and resisting arrest after a foot chase.
19-year-old Mohamed Abdullahi and an unnamed 17-year-old were also hit with charges for assault and battery and disturbing the peace.
A fourth person taken into the custody at the scene was later released without being charged.
Robert Antonelli Jr., the assistant commissioner of the Worcester Parks and Recreation Department, told reporters that the newly trained lifeguard was merely following a standard procedure that had been in place without major incident for the past 25 years.
“We’re not happy,” Antonelli said. “As a city, as a community, what happened here was uncalled for. It’s a simple request. It’s a simple item, and they took it too far.”
“We’re not going to stand for it,” he added.