Early morning fight at Brighton IHOP ends with man pulling out loaded gun, police say

Boston Police report arresting a Dorchester man on gun and drug charges early Sunday morning after, they say, an altercation that started when he laughed at the sight of another man falling inside the Soldiers Field Road IHOP ended when he pulled out a gun loaded with 11 rounds and threatened the man with it.

According to police, witnesses told them that around 4:35 a.m., inside one of Boston's few 24-hour restaurants, "an individual inside of the restaurant had fallen and the suspect began laughing at him." That led to an argument, the climax of which came when the laughing man "removed a firearm from his waistband before threatening to shoot the victim and fleeing the scene in the silver sedan."

Police say they found Gordon Newton, 35, of Dorchester in the silver car down Soldiers Field Road, near Everett Street. Police say that after removing Newton and his female companion, officers and state troopers found a bullet in the rear seat "along with five sealed medicine bottles and one open medicine bottle containing a substance believed to be codeine."

A gun-sniffing dog was called in, and helped officers locate "a Smith and Wesson 9mm firearm loaded with eleven rounds of live ammunition as well as one spent shell casing" along Soldiers Field Road, between the IHOP and where Newton was stopped, police say.

Newton was charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, subsequent offense, possession of a large-capacity firearm, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, possession of Class A drugs with intent to distribute and driving with a suspended license, police say.

Innocent, etc.