Gilford police looking for people involved in restaurant manager assault

GILFORD — Police on Monday were asking for the public’s help in identifying the people who created a disturbance at a local restaurant and assaulted a manager at the establishment.

According to Gilford Police, between six and eight people caused a disruption at the Ellacoya Barn & Grille late Saturday afternoon when they became upset after being told there was no place to seat the group together, whereupon they walked out of the establishment, with their drinks in hand.

When the duty manager told them they could not take their drinks outside, the manager was assaulted, police said.

The group then drove away in two vehicles — a Hummer and a Ford F250/350 pickup truck towing an enclosed snowmobile trailer — and headed east on Route 11 toward Alton, police said. The vehicles appeared to have Massachusetts plates, police added.

According to a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page, the disturbance occurred when the group was told they could not be seated together but could be accommodated “in different sections, but they refused the offer.”

“They chose to leave and proceeded out the front door with alcoholic beverages (glass) in hands,” the post continued. “When approached by the manager on shift to leave the alcohol inside the door, this person was assaulted by people in their party. They continued outside and vandalized our building’s entrance.”

Police said it appeared the manager was uninjured, based on the information officers were given.

“We are hoping for some leads,” Gilford Deputy Police Chief Kris Kelley said Monday. “There must be somebody who knows something that will help us.”

Anyone who has information about the owners of the vehicles or the identity of the people involved in the incident is asked to call Gilford Officer Troy Wallace at 603-527-4737.