Hellertown Police were met with a chaotic scene when they arrived at the Dewey Fire Co. banquet hall on Durham Street for a report of a fight they were told involved more than 30 people Saturday night, according to a police department news release issued Sunday.
The incident drew a large response from surrounding area departments and occurred as Relay for Life of Greater Saucon-Bethlehem Area–an annual fundraising event–was taking place adjacent to the firehouse in the borough’s Dimmick Park.
According to Hellertown Police, when officers arrived on scene “there were scenes in both public parking lots on either side” of the building and 100 or more wedding guests “just fleeing the event,” some of whom were detained for questioning and information gathering.
Police outside Dewey Fire Company are seen interviewing witnesses to a large fight Saturday night in this still from a video filmed by a passerby.
Police said the large fight involved people attending a wedding reception at the hall, and began shortly before 8 p.m. with a domestic dispute in which a woman was “dragged into the parking lot” by a man they identified as Scott Brockel Jr., 25, who lives in either Bethlehem or Allentown according to dual public Facebook profiles.
Scott Brockel Jr., in a 2017 public profile photo on one of his Facebook pages
In one of the profiles Brockel identifies himself by the name “Lord Broadway” and says he is self-employed as the CEO of Broadway_Inc, which is a “multi-media group based out of Allentown” according to a Facebook page for the business.
Whether he was a guest at the wedding or was there in some other capacity is unclear.
“As wedding guests attempted to help, (Brockel) proceeded to assault several guests who approached to assist,” police said, explaining that four people suffered serious injuries and were subsquently taken to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill for treatment.
Several people also suffered minor injuries, they added.
Police said the initial reports about the fight indicated that there were “weapons, intoxication and injuries” involved, which prompted a call for “assistance…by any available units.” Ultimately the response included officers from Lower Saucon Township Police Department, Upper Saucon Township Police Department, Springfield Township Police Department, Lehigh University Police Department, Salisbury Police Department, Bethlehem Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police at Belfast.
As of Sunday morning Brockel is the only person charged in the fight, according to Hellertown police, who said he is facing one or more counts of the following charges: riot, aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.
Brockel was arrested and detained by Pennsylvania State Police, they said.
According to online court records, in July 2013 Brockel pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in a Bethlehem case in which he was charged.
That case stemmed from a May 2012 robbery and beating of a man in the 1400 block of E. Morton Street, Bethlehem, in which the victim suffered a broken jaw and head trauma, and Brockel was identified as one of three attackers, according to a story published by LehighValleyLive.com.
Hellertown Police said Brockel was “detained by Pennsylvania State Parole” following the fight Saturday night.
Video taken by a witness at the scene shows that at least one vehicle was impounded at the scene.
Police also indicated that additional charges may be filed in this case.
They are asking that anyone with information about the incident “or the identities of any participants that may have fled or video footage of the incident” contact the department at 610-838-7040 or Northampton County Dispatch at 610-759-2200.
Police vehicles from numerous departments line the streets outside the Dewey Fire Company banquet hall in Hellertown following a fight that occurred during a wedding reception there Saturday night.
