Charges are dismissed in symphony brawl case

Two men who blew at the Boston Pops symphony's opening concert last month will not face charges.

Matthew Ellinger, 27, of Boston, and Michael Hallam, 44, of Bourne, Massachusetts, agreed to withdraw their assault and battery complaints during a closed-door hearing Tuesday in Boston Municipal Court, First Assistant Clerk Magistrate Rosemary Carr said.

The fight at Symphony Hall on May 9 started when Ellinger tapped Hallam on the shoulder with a program and told him to be quiet, police said. The men bickered before Hallam punched Ellinger, leading to the brief scuffle in the balcony.

Conductor Keith Lockhart was forced to pause the orchestra's performance of music from the movie "Gigi" before police escorted the men out of the concert.

The men, who were not injured, filed charges days later.

Carr would not say why Ellinger and Hallam dropped their complaints. Ellinger did not immediately return a telephone message from The Associated Press, and Hallam declined comment.

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Author`s name Angela Antonova
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