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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997 Apr 17 - Cape Cod Times Article: "Arrests mar D-Y prom night"Arrests mar D=Y prom night ■ Police seize drugs and alcohol and an officer is injured at a post - prom motel party. By SEAN POLAY STAFF WRITER SOUTH YARMOUTH – Police and school officials continued yesterday to sort through the aftermath of a post junior prom party at the Brentwood Motor Inn, where two people were arrested and a police officer was hurt. School offi- cials stressed ■ PROM PARTIES: Falmouth yesterday that shares its experience with other the events late school districts. /A-10 Saturday and early Sunday morning at the South Yarmouth motel did not take place at a school -sanctioned event, and involved only a fraction of the Dennis -Yarmouth Regional High School students who attended the junior prom festivi- ties Saturday at New Seabury in Mashpee. "The sad part is, the prom went so nicely," principal Patrick Schettini said yesterday. "The kids had a great time. We had one very minor incident at the prom, and Please see PROM /A-10 Continued from A-1___– — -- I drove that youngster home, and that was the end of that. "It's sad that ... such a bad spin developed for the entire evening," Schettini said. During what the police called a "major disturbance" at the motel early Sunday, an off-duty Yar- mouth police detail officer was hit on the head with a thrown beer bottle as the police tried to break up the large party. Of the 100 people whose names were taken by the police Sunday morning, school officials as of mid- day yesterday had identified 40 students. It was the third time the police had been to the motel on Route 28 that night. Officer Patrick Carty and Detective Kevin Mcisaac visit- ed the motel's night manager just after 8:30 after they had learned several D -Y students might be headed there after the junior prom. Carty had learned the informa- tion when arresting someone ear- lier for buying alcohol for teens waiting in a parked car outside one of the town's liquor stores. "They'd gotten word that the rooms had been rented, supposed- ly by adults, for party -goers," said Sgt. Philip Prada, the officer in charge of the 4 to 12 shift Saturday night. "They advised the manager that he was going to have a lot of kids there that night, and if he needed us to make sure he called US." Afterward, Mcisaac spent the evening visiting the liquor stores in town to let them know there might be a lot of people, some under legal age, trying to get alcohol. The police didn't receive another call from the Brentwood until mid- night, according to the police activ- ity log. The manager reported that things had gotten out of control, with 150 to 200 young people in his parking lot and in the 12 rented rooms. After an officer was sent to the The police were still in the pro - motel, the department recom- cess of notifying parents yesterday mended to the manager that the and investigating several aspects motel hire a detail officer to keep of the case, including how and an eye on things throughout the from whom the alcohol and drugs night, Prada said. were purchased. Detectives also The detail officer, Sgt. Peter El- were still trying to determine who 5 lis,, who retired from active duty had thrown the bottle. late last year, arrived at the motel ;Two of the 12 rooms rented at S i at 1:04 a.m. At 1:17, he radioed the the Brentwood Saturday night t station that more officers were were rented by parents of D -Y stu- r needed to keep the peace. dents, the police said. The rest 1 Ellis was hit on the head with a thrown bottle, reportedly after he were rented by other adults, some of whom were students over age c knocked on a motel room door. He 18. a. was taken to Cape Cod Hospital, fr where he was treated for a concus- School officials and the police sion and later released. department had been readying Christopher Seeley, 18, of 211B themselves for the senior prom Pleasant St., South Yarmouth, a D- May 16 and graduation week acti- Y student, and Mark Antone, 19, vities. This weekend's events made who gave a New Bedford address everyone strengthen their efforts. but is a former D -Y student and still has Yarmouth ties, were ar- "We're going to step up our vigi- rested for disturbing the peace. An- lance to get kids to come to that all - tone was also charged with resist- night party after the senior prom," ing arrest. he said. Both pleaded innocent in Barn- stable District Court yesterday, Notices are going to home to and each has a pretrial hearing parents to notify them of the post - prom plans. Forums for parents scheduled for May 28. Several cases of beer and bottles will be held at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 of liquor, a small amount of mari- p.m. on April 30, and a senior -class assembly is scheduled for May 1. juana and pipes were seized. Two of the D -Y students at the "We want to talk to all of them Brentwood party are athletes, about our expectations," Schettini Schettini said, meaning they will said yesterday. likely face disciplinary action in re- Schettini said he was grateful for lation to their athletic the police involvement. participation. "There are two that we are "We're just glad that no one died aware of," Schettini said. "There over the weekend," he said. "If the may have been more." police had not interceded, we may Massachusetts Interscholastic be looking at a very sad day Athletic Association rules state today." that athletes cannot remain in any location where drugs and alcohol are in use. The athletes' names were not released yesterday.