Inside The Big E's Bloody Brawl: What Happened? And Who Are The Stanleys?

Following a bloody brawl Saturday at The Big E involving more than a dozen people, some merchants are questioning the festival's safety after at least four people were hospitalized, two arrested and a family-run ski shop lost thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.

While it was not the first violent incident at the 108-year-old fair, it was also not the first time that the men accused of instigating the brawl, James and Levi Stanley, have “caused chaos” at the family-friendly event, according to the West Springfield police report obtained by MassLive.

The Stanleys, father and son, were arrested on the scene on September 14 in connection with the fight. Levi Stanley, 28, of Amherst, New Hampshire, was charged with four counts of assault, disturbing the peace and damaging property valued at more than $1,200.

James Stanley, 48, of Haverhill, was charged with two counts of assault, disturbing the peace and damaging property valued at more than $1,200. He was also charged with unarmed robbery.

Both were arraigned in Springfield District Court on Wednesday and released on $1,000 bail. Both are scheduled to appear in court on November 7.

How the fight began, what happened

“From here it looked like a Looney Tunes cartoon with everything flying through the air,” recalls Jay Caswell.

He, his wife and daughter run a tie-dye clothing stand called My Stoner Friends at The Big E. The stand is located near Gate 7 at Dolly's Honky Tonk, directly across from Colorado Ski Shop. They and countless other families and children were just feet away when the fight broke out at their business on the street.

According to the police report, a T-shirt seller next to Caswell's booth yelled at a group of trade show visitors because they had apparently stolen something from his store.

Two witnesses saw a group of people attack the salesman and bring him to the ground. James Stanley kicked him several times in the face while he was on the ground, police said.

When Caswell heard the shouts and screams of the spectators, he escorted his family and customers back to his store.

“When I turned around, they were already rolling across the street and landing in my neighbor's cabin,” Caswell told MassLive on Wednesday.

“[My neighbor] “I got involved because he had families there with young children and he didn't want them to get hurt… but he's an elderly gentleman and he's lying on the ground and they're kicking him. It's not necessarily in my nature to get involved in something like that, but I can't let that happen,” he said.

That was about the time Caswell's wife ran to get security while he went to help free the five or so people from his neighbor.

The injured T-shirt seller was helped back into his store by one of the witnesses after James Stanley punched her in the face as she tried to break up the fight, police said.

Caswell dodged the blows and, after his neighbor was safe, returned to his cabin to see the fight spill over into the Colorado Ski Shop.

Then ski masks, jackets, pants, bicycles and other merchandise began flying through the air like a children's cartoon, Caswell said. A huge crowd of screaming onlookers watched as fists hit eye sockets and people fell to the ground.

Colorado Ski employees tried to stop the thugs from entering the store, but they became involved in the fight, police said.

One of the employees was jumped and punched by Levi Stanley while he was on the ground, police said, after Stanley's son had already kicked another person in the head. Two other employees of the ski shop were also named as victims in the report.

According to the police report, the five victims suffered an eye socket fracture, broken nose, concussions, and cuts and bruises on the back of the head and face.

In the aftermath, people and the ground were covered in blood. Merchandise from the Colorado Ski Shop valued at more than $1,500 was lost, damaged or possibly stolen due to the blood, police said.

At approximately 6:20 p.m., an employee at the Ski Shop booth called police and reported that her employee's phone was missing and beeping in the area of ​​the West Springfield Police Department.

Officers found the man's cell phone and watch on James Stanley at the station. And a witness said he saw James Stanley take the watch from the clerk during the commotion.

On Wednesday, four employees of a supplier who worked in the area of ​​the dispute had visibly black eyes.

The Stanley Family and The Big E

Although they never came into his store, Caswell said the group of about 15 fairgoers he saw fighting were aggressive from the start.

“It felt like they came here to cause trouble,” Caswell said. “One guy jumps in to help someone and suddenly there are somehow three others hot on his heels.”

According to the police report, the Stanley family is known to the West Springfield Department for causing problems every year, such as staging a fight to rob the clerks at The Big E as a diversion.

“The West Springfield Police Department has been in contact with the Stanley family every year throughout the duration of the Big E. These individuals have been documented to cause unprovoked disturbances/fights in large crowds,” the police report states.

“Amidst the chaos they create, members of the Stanley family, or 'crew,' take advantage of the distraction caused by the disturbances and steal various types of items from people while their attention is diverted elsewhere,” the report said.

The Stanley men's attorney did not respond to MassLive for comment.

Both James and Levi Stanley were charged with trespassing on The Big E's property, which earned them a one-year ban, West Springfield police said. If they are found on the property during that time, they will be arrested immediately, police said.

The Big E did not respond to MassLive about whether James and Levi Stanley could face a longer ban, as law enforcement is aware of previous problems at the property, or how the current ban will be enforced.

However, representatives of the fair issued a statement describing the Stanleys' arrest and the brawl on Saturday as an “isolated incident.”

“Thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of our security team, West Springfield Police and other law enforcement officials, the situation was brought under control quickly and professionally,” the statement said. It added that fair officials “commend [officers] for their quick response and the discretion with which they handled the matter.”

“The safety of our guests remains our top priority and we want to reassure the public that The Big E remains a safe, family-friendly environment. Our security team is well-equipped and adaptable, ensuring that any situation on site is handled efficiently to provide a positive experience for all visitors,” the statement concluded.

West Springfield police said Thursday that the arrests related to the Stanley men “represent a closed case and no further charges are pending.”

The concerns of the providers

According to Caswell and Cindy Decker, the manager of a nearby cell phone accessories store, it took police about five minutes to arrive on the scene and clear the crime scene.

While this was Caswell's first year at the Big E, Decker, from Florida, has been at the show for 24 years.

Given her experience at large festivals in major cities across the country, Decker was not particularly shocked by Saturday's violent demonstration.

“It doesn't matter where you go. I go to state fairs all over the country – I probably go to 20 state fairs, even in big cities. There are fights everywhere… unless the police are right there, I think they have responded. [to the fight Saturday] fast enough,” Decker said, adding that officials at The Big E always do a “great job.”

Decker's co-worker, who grew up in western Massachusetts, said violence at The Big E was nothing new to her. She recalled a stabbing she experienced as a high school student and said it “still didn't feel like it was unsafe.”

“But when I come here now as a parent, [I’m watching] “I just watch out for drunk people fighting, and I make sure my kids don't get caught up in the crowd,” Savannah Mullins said.

Caswell has attended music festivals across the Northeast and said The Big E could take steps to provide a safer experience for vendors and fairgoers.

Caswell's list included a larger number and presence of paramedics. He also suggested a special emergency number specifically for vendors.

He was of the opinion that his wife should not have gone out to look for a police officer because a five-minute argument was “long.” In addition, the police should have been stationed at several points throughout the entire trade fair.

West Springfield police said all emergency calls coming from the fair will be routed to dispatch. Non-emergency calls will be routed from The Big E police station.

There is a separate police channel and dispatch center on The Big E's premises. In the event of an emergency, the department can send calls directly from the dispatch center.

West Springfield police are assisted by officers from the Massachusetts State Police and Sheriff's Office in patrolling the site.

On the outside, numerous West Springfield officers man all nine gates that direct traffic. In addition, four to six officers on mountain bikes, four to six on motorcycles, and two patrol cars are assigned to Memorial Avenue and the surrounding areas.

Caswell said he won't let that stop him from coming back next year, but he hopes fair officials will take this year's events into account when planning for event security and public safety.