Fight Ignites After Man Hit With Broomstick, Cops Say

A fight between two men escalated when one struck the other with a broomstick in a Morristown bank parking lot early Sunday morning, police said.

Michael Godoy, 21, of Morton Street, was arrested and charged Nov. 11 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia shortly after 2 a.m.

Andrew Stetzel, 22, of Lafayette Township, was issued a summons for simple assault.

According to a police report filed by Officer Joseph Heuneman, officers were patrolling the downtown area during closing time when an individual approached him saying several men were about to jump someone in the Wells Fargo parking lot.

When he arrived, Heuneman said he saw about 10 men gathered as Stetzel ran toward Godoy and punched him with a closed fist, causing Godoy to fall to the ground, according to the report.

Heuneman called for backup and then grabbed hold of the shirt of Stetzel, who struggled to break free at first but ultimately calmed down, according to the report. The officer then noticed Stetzel had a 1-inch cut on his forehead and blood was dripping down his face. Stetzel said Godoy had attacked him first, with a broomstick, which another man then tossed at Heuneman's feet, according to the report.

The officer then asked Godoy why he had attacked Stetzel.

"I have no idea," Stetzel said, and he remained uncooperative, according to the report. 

A witness at the scene told officers Godoy had "blind-sided" Stetzel by hitting him in the face with the broomstick, according to the report. Stetzel said he felt he was defending himself by hitting Godoy. Stetzel and Godoy were intoxicated, which made getting additional details difficult, the officer noted in the report.

Officer Anthony O'Brien told Heuneman that Godoy admitted to attacking Stetzel with the broomstick because it was "five on one," according to the report.

During processing, police also found on Godoy a "one-hitter" style pipe, commonly used for smoking marijuana, which was confiscated, the report stated.

Godoy was transported to the Morris County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5,000 bail. Stetzel was served his summons and released into the care of Morristown Medical Center for treatment.

For questions about this post, email john.dunphy@patch.com.