Julie Manganis
The Salem News, Beverly, Mass.
DANVERS — A Revere firefighter has been charged with beating and dragging his older brother over a $900 debt early Sunday afternoon in Danvers.
Paul E. McInnis, 56, of 4 Pickering Court, Danvers, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault and battery on a person 60 or older during his arraignment on Monday afternoon.
Following a hearing to determine whether McInnis poses a danger, Salem District Court Judge Jean Curran ordered that he stay away from his 60-year-old brother and not commit any new crimes. She also left in place the $250 bail McInnis posted on Sunday after his arrest.
Police were called to an address on Hobart Street shortly after 1 p.m.
The younger sister of both men told police that McInnis showed up at the home and the two got into an argument, during which McInnis grabbed his brother, slammed his head on the pavement of the driveway, punched him repeatedly and then began to drive away while still holding the older man, briefly dragging him along the driveway.
The older man, who had multiple bleeding cuts and scrapes and a bump on his head, was evaluated by EMTs from an ambulance crew but declined to go to the hospital.
McInnis, according to a police report, told officers that his brother owed him $900 and that when he showed up, his brother spat on him.
Lawyer Edward Ferrante, who represented McInnis during the detention hearing, told the judge that his client is an Air Force veteran who was deployed eight times to Iraq and Afghanistan before his retirement. He said his client has worked as a Revere firefighter and EMT, has volunteered as a youth basketball coach, and has custody of a grandchild.
He also said his client suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, however.
McInnis is due back in court on Dec. 13. Curran told him that he does not qualify for continued representation by Ferrante, a bar advocate, and will have to hire his own attorney.
Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis
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