Chain saw-wielding brawlers clash in Big Sandy

A wild street brawl at the center of Big Sandy's small commercial district ended Monday with only minor injuries, but left many in the quiet farming town shocked by the sudden melee — which included a chain saw-wielding would-be assailant, a knife fight and ended with a stolen car racing out of town.

"You could hear the chain saw and you could hear people screaming at each other," said Drew Page, who was working at a downtown business when the fight broke out. "It pulled everybody out of their businesses. People were looking up and down the street to see what was happening."

The brawl began when a four-door sedan carrying three men and a pickup carrying two men and two women rolled into the town of about 600 residents from off U.S. Highway 87. According to Chouteau County Sheriff Vern Burdick, none of the seven people involved live in Big Sandy — or even surrounding Chouteau County.

"From what we've been able to gather, the initial dispute actually took place on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, and the pickup gave chase to the sedan," Burdick said.

Shortly after 2 p.m., the three men in the sedan pulled up into a parking space in front of the Bear Paw Coffee Shop and Deli on Johannas Avenue. Just a few seconds later, the pickup pulled in directly behind the sedan, partially blocking the east-bound lane through Big Sandy.

"All the doors were flying open and people were getting out and running around and hitting each other," said Cherie Stiles, one of the owners of the Bear Paw Coffee Shop and Deli.

The shouting, screaming and general commotion quickly drew the attention of anyone within earshot of the fracas. Dozens of people witnessed the fight, either standing outside on the sidewalk or through storefront windows.

"The street was lined with people," said Jody Thornton, who was at her desk at the Sheehy Law Office when the commotion started

At one point, one of the men from the pickup grabbed a chain saw, fired it up and raced forward into the center of the fight.

"He was swinging it around, and they all were scattering," Thornton said.

According to Burdick, the chain saw incident lasted only a few seconds.

"The chain saw did not injure anybody," the sheriff said. "It was quickly shut down and thrown back into the pickup."

At this point at least one of the pickup's occupants got into the sedan, backed the car out into the street and raced out of town. The remaining occupants of the pickup followed behind, leaving the three men who had driven the sedan into Big Sandy without a ride. One of them had a knife wound to his lower abdomen.

"It was superficial, nonlife-threatening," Burdick said of the unidentified man's wound. "He was treated at Big Sandy Medical Center and released back into our custody."

Several bystanders witnessed one of the men take the knife used during the fight and throw it behind Pep's Bar and Lanes - a restaurant/bar/bowling alley on the corner of 1st Street and Johannas Ave. Police later retrieved the weapon.

The whole confrontation lasted just minutes. Immediately afterward, a Chouteau County deputy arrived and began taking witness statements. He'd been en route even before calls began pouring in reporting the street brawl.

"He was already working on a traffic complaint that had come in with these same two vehicles," Burdick said. "We had received a traffic complaint about two vehicles on U.S. 87 traveling southbound out of Box Elder heading toward Big Sandy, and he was actively going after them."

The sedan was later found parked on the side of Highway 87 a short distance north of Big Sandy.

"The car has been impounded, and currently there's a search warrant being drafted so we can search it," Burdick said Tuesday afternoon.

Burkdick said that all seven people involved in the Monday brawl have been identified, and four have been cited.

"There were four citations issued for disorderly conduct to the folks who were physically involved," he said. They are low-keyed citations at this time, but as we pursue and finish this case up there's going to be some more serious charges brought forth. The person that did take the car back out of Big Sandy flat disappeared, but we do have his name."

Burdick was not prepared to divulge any information as to what may have motivated the fight, noting that the incident was subject to an ongoing criminal investigation.

"I can't speak to that," he responded. "We're getting into the crux of the case right there, and when it comes to their mind set or the cause of the fight itself — we are hoping to determine that at the end of the investigation. Let's just say that what the public witnessed and what actually took place is a bit skewed. That's part of the investigation that we are vetting out."

Residents in Big Sandy are just grateful it ended without anybody being seriously injured.

"I was really glad school wasn't out at the time, and there were no kids walking around down Main Street," Stiles said. "We were lucky in a lot of ways."