Weymouth Man Charged In Violent South End Beating
BOSTON (CBS) – A Weymouth man has been charged in a violent beating in Boston's South End earlier this month.
Boston Police said 22-year-old Chris Smith was punched multiple times and slammed into the ground around 2:45 a.m. on February 9. The incident happened in the area of Harrison Ave. and Fay Street.
Smith was semi-conscious on the ground when officers arrived. He was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, but was released several days later.
Last week, police released surveillance photos of two men and two women they were looking for, describing them as people of interest in the case.
Police said one of the men, 40-year-old Michael Kenney of Weymouth, turned himself in Tuesday afternoon. He's now charged with assault and battery, and assault and battery causing serious bodily injury.
Kenney is the only person facing charges in the attack.
Boston Police said Kenney punched Smith and his friend repeatedly.
Smith told WBZ-TV last week that a group of people accused him and his friend of making fun of his girlfriend while they were at a bar. Smith and his friend left to get food next door, but he says the group followed them and Kenney allegedly started hitting them.
"They left him for dead, they didn't even look behind them, they left him for dead," said Chris' mother Debbie Smith.
Debbie Smith was in the courtroom for Kenney's arraignment. She stood up at one point to let the judge know she was there.
Several people were at the courthouse to support Kenney. They told WBZ-TV he is a father with a 17-year-old daughter and he is a good person.
"My client's got no criminal record, he turned himself into the police yesterday, came before this court, he pled not guilty and looks forward to litigating his case in front of a jury of his peers," said Michael Doolin, Kenney's defense attorney.
Kenney wore a black hood up over his head during his arraignment. A judge ordered him released on $5,000 cash bail with the condition he stays away from Smith and his friend.
