Thrown Chair Leads To Assault Charge for Phoenix House Teen

A 17-year-old Phoenix House resident was arrested on a felony assault charge after he threw a chair at another resident, which split his upper lip open and loosened an upper front tooth, East Hampton Town police said. 

Police were called to the Wainscott facility on Industrial Road on Nov. 26 at about 10:15 a.m. for an aided case. 

The victim, who was bleeding, told police he was about to sit down for a meal when his chair was pulled out from under him, causing him to fall on his butt. When he got up, he saw the defendant and thought he had pulled the chair away. The victim said he slid the chair across the floor toward the defendant, hitting him in the leg. That's when the defendant picked up the chair and threw it at him, hitting him in the face. 

The victim said he later found out it was another boy who had pulled out the chair as a joke. 

The victim was transported to Southampton Hospital. Police said his injuries required treatment by an orthodontist and a plastic surgeon. 

Detectives responded and arrested the defendant, whose name is being withheld because he is eligible for youthful offender status.He was held for arraignment on Nov. 27. He was released on $900 bail.