Lynn couple charged after street brawl indicted

SALEM – A Lynn couple accused of slashing a man on Shepard Street and threatening him with a firearm during a street brawl in May have been indicted by an Essex County grand jury.Brian Lawrence Kelly, 33, of 15 Huss Court, #304, is charged with carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and a felon in possession of a firearm.Renee Joy Courtois, 36, also of 15 Huss Court, #304, stands charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, to wit a knife.Their charges arise out of an incident on the night of May 27 when police responded to a street brawl on Shepard Street and found, Antonio Pacheco, a Lynn man, with a bruised face and a stab wound.Pacheco was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for treatment. The injuries sustained were non-life threatening, according to reports.Authorities learned from witnesses that a man was armed with a gun and a woman with a knife and witnesses at the scene pointed to the two suspects as they were walking down the street.Police caught up with the couple. Kelly did not have any weapon on him, police said, but Courtois allegedly was carrying a knife in her right pocket.Investigators learned that the accused couple walked down the street, exchanged words resulting in an argument. Kelly pointed a gun at Pacheco, punched him in the face and Courtois allegedly slashed him. Kelly then reportedly tossed the firearm into a nearby yard.Police units combing the area along with a canine, resulted in finding a small black handgun nearby.Kelly previously was convicted on a violent crime in October of 2004.Assistant District Attorney Greg A. Friedholm is prosecuting the case for the state.Indictments are not an indication of guilt: rather it is a legal process that allows a case to be transferred from District Court to Superior Court allowing for a more severe punishment.