Brawl breaks out outside Mass. court as man is arraigned on murder charge in woman’s road rage death

A fight broke out on Tuesday during a court hearing for a man charged with murder in the death of 26-year-old Destini Decoff during an apparent road rage incident in Hopkinton.

Ryan Sweatt, 36, of Milford, was arraigned on the murder charge in Framingham District Court after he allegedly fatally struck Decoff near a Hopkinton pub on April 4. Sweatt was previously arraigned on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, operating to endanger, and a marked lanes violation.

Outside the courtroom Tuesday, video showed shouting and cursing between two groups of people before the brawl broke out.

It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was injured in the fight or if charges would be filed in connection with the incident.

Decoff was critically injured in the crash that occurred on Hayden Rowe Street near Cornell’s Irish Pub, police said. She died of her injuries two days later.

A preliminary investigation indicated that Sweatt was driving a Honda Civic on Route 85 when he became engaged in an apparent road rage incident with another vehicle. After the two vehicles had stopped, people in the Toyota got out of the car.

Witnesses told police that instead of immediately driving away, Sweatt maneuvered his Honda through two U-Turns, and crashed right into Decoff, who was standing at the edge of the road.

At the scene, Sweatt told police people had surrounded his car, and were yelling they were trying to kill him, and he was trying to get away. Police say they recovered a knife.

An investigation is ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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