Knife Fight Report Leads To Arrests On The Concord Heights

Around 6:45 p.m. on Aug. 25, Concord police were sent to the Concord Gardens apartment complex for a report of a fight involving a knife. The tipster quickly disconnected from 911 after issuing the report, so there was little information available, a detective wrote in an affidavit.

As officers arrived, they learned the incident was close by, in the parking lot of the Lamplighter Plaza on Loudon Road. Several people were still in the rear area of the lot. When the detective arrived, they recognized two men — Emmanuel Muhire, 34, a homeless man, and the victim, a man in his mid-30s. The detective wrote the victim accused Muhire of assaulting him earlier in the evening, at the same location.

A third man, Abel Dusabimana, 39, was in handcuffs due to an active bench warrant. An officer told the detective Dusabimana had possession of the knife during the altercation, the affidavit stated. The knife, the detective noted, was now on the ground near the area of the fight.

The detective stated Muhire had “a large scrape” on his forearm. Fire and rescue teams arrived and applied a bandage to his arm.

Bystanders, however, told the detective Dusabimana was “not the primary aggressor in the altercation.” One witness accused Muhire of “swinging a stick” against Dusabimana, pressing his body against and grabbing onto him, the report said.

A witness provided cellphone video of the incident to the officer the detective watched.

The detective said the video clips showed Muhire holding a stick and swinging it “like a sword in a rapid manner,” the affidavit said. The victim was heard saying “police” several times while lifting his shirt, showing the injury from the prior altercation. Muhire then was seen snapping the stick in half and throwing it to the ground, the detective wrote, but then postured “as if he was about to engage in an altercation.” The report stated he took off his sunglasses, threw them aside, and took off his sandals.

Dusabimana then appeared “to brandish a knife” and chased Muhire a short distance, the report stated. Muhire then fell, Dusabimana kicked him twice, and then walked away, the detective stated. Dusabimana then walked away with the victim. The victim was seen holding a snow shovel later.

Muhire then began to posture again and came “within inches of Abel,” the report said. Dusabimana then pushed him away and Muhire “aggressively reengages Abel and grabbed his right arm,” the affidavit said.

Dusabimana, the detective wrote, appeared to be creating distance from Muhire even though he continued to posture and approach him.

The detective said, since the parking lot incident was the second fight involving Muhire that evening, he was arrested on simple assault, disorderly conduct, and criminal threatening charges. He requested bail but was held on preventative detention. The detective said, despite having $72, Muhire refused to pay the bail commissioner. Muhire was scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 26 in Concord District Court.

Previously, Muhire has been arrested about a dozen times since 2016 on disorderly conduct, criminal threatening, resisting, assault, trespass, stalking, false imprisonment, domestic violence, driving after revocation or suspension, conduct after an accident, operating without a valid license charges, and a vehicle registration violation.

Dusabimana has previously been arrested on drunken driving twice, driving after revocation or suspension, and operating without a valid license charges as well as a parks ordinance violation.

The victim has previously been arrested on domestic violence, conduct after an accident, simple assault, aggravated driving under the influence, endangering the welfare of a child, stalking, operating without a valid license, resisting, driving after revocation or suspension, breach of bail, and warrants.

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