Lynn couple charged in Friday night street brawl

LYNN – A Lynn couple is spending some time behind bars after an alleged Friday night brawl on Shepard Street left one man with a bruised face and a stab wound.Brian Lawrence Kelly, 33, of 15 Huss Court, #304 was charged with armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm, defaced serial number on a firearm, use of a firearm during a felony, unlicensed possession of ammunition and felon in possession of a firearm; Renee Joy Courtois, 36, same address, charged with armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, knife, and violation of a city knife ordinance.Both suspects were arraigned Tuesday at Lynn District Court by Judge James Lamothe and held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for June 7.According to court documents, police responded to a report of a man armed with a gun and a woman with a knife on Shepard Street. Upon arrival, several witnesses pointed at a couple walking down the street and shouted, “The big white guy! He’s got a gun!”Police caught up with the pair and saw that Kelly was sweating profusely and breathing heavily, but did not have a weapon on him. Courtois allegedly had a knife in her right pocket and began yelling at officers that they should be arresting the people who reported the incident.As that was going on, officers found a man with a stab wound on Shepard Street, along with a crowd of nearly 20 people, who were friends of the victim who wanted to confront the suspects. The victim was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston with non-life threatening injuries.A witness alleged that Kelly had pointed a gun at him and several others, and then tossed the weapon into a yard on Warren Street. A search made by the Lynn Police and State Police gang units, along with Essex County Sheriffs and a narcotics detecting canine, resulted in a small, black handgun being found.As Courtois was being led away in handcuffs, police say she egged on the crowd and began screaming about the police.A witness said the incident allegedly began when he was in front of his home with several friends and relatives and spotted Kelly and Courtois walking down the street. After the group exchanged words, Courtois allegedly shouted an obscenity, which sparked an argument because children were outside.Kelly then allegedly punched a victim in the face, while Courtois allegedly stabbed another victim.A 15-foot blood trail was found on the corner of Warren and Shepard streets, and stretched all the way back to the corner of Shepard and South Common, where the victim was being treated by medical crews.