A Michigan Republican Party meeting turned comically ugly on Saturday when a violent melee erupted at a Clare hotel. It reportedly all started when state Republicans showed up to the hotel to attend a GOP committee meeting—only to find out that the meeting was behind a locked door, limited only to members of the committee. At one point, James Chapman, one of the frustrated attendees, jiggled the doorknob outside the meeting room. Mark DeYoung, chairman of the Clare County Republican Party, opened the door from inside. “He kicked me in my balls as soon as I opened the door,” DeYoung told The Detroit News, adding that Chapman allegedly ran at him and slammed him into a chair. But Chapman swears that DeYoung started it, saying the chairman swung at him and said, “I’ll kick your ass.” DeYoung denies those claims. Continuing the fight, Chapman removed his glasses and took DeYoung down by the legs. “When you see me taking my glasses off, I’m ready to rock,” he said. Several officers were called to respond to the brawl. DeYoung, who said he’s being treated for a broken rib, said he plans to press charges against Chapman.
