A fight broke outside Milano Market Tuesday evening when one man smashed another in the face with a stick.

The assailant, sporting dreadlocks, left the store and reportedly seized a walking stick that was lying against the storefront. He brought it across the face of a middle-aged man, who was selling books outside the store. A fight between the two men transpired for a couple of minutes, but was broken up by the police.

Reports differ as to whether or not the bookseller provoked the man. According to one eyewitness, “There was some kind of loggerhead going on inside the store, and when the guy with the dreads walked out, the white guy was poking at him. That’s when the fight broke out.”

“Its not really fair,” she added. “If the white guy hadn’t poked him, nothing would have happened.”

According to eyewitness Mark Shreck, “they got into a scuffle. The guy in the white shirt didn’t fight back much.”

The assailant was overheard saying “I wish I’d cracked your skull in two, motherfucker.”
Seemingly incredulous, he added “Are you letting him get away with that? He knocks me to the ground and you’re putting me in handcuffs? What the fuck, man?”

Police present at the scene would not comment on the identity of either man, but quickly took the man with dreadlocks into custody and whisked him away from the scene.

Daniella Zalcman contributed to this article.