New London — An incident that resulted in a 2 1/2-hour lockdown of the emergency department at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital Saturday night stemmed from a fight that began earlier in the day on Nathan Hale Road in Groton, police said Sunday.

No weapons were involved and no arrests were made in the incident at the hospital, police said. While the hospital was on lockdown from 6:15 to 8:45 p.m., only patients and their immediate family members were allowed into the emergency department, L&M spokesman Mike O'Farrell said.

New London police said the incident involved family members involved in a fight in Groton. At the request of Groton City police, New London police later took two New London residents allegedly involved in the fight into custody at their home and turned them over to Groton City police.

Kerwin Irizarry, 22, and Darwin Irizarry, 20, both of 48 Crystal Ave., Apt. A85, New London, were charged with second-degree breach of peace; third-degree assault on an elderly, blind, disabled, pregnant or retarded person; and risk of injury to a minor. Kerwin Irizarry was also charged with third-degree strangulation and third-degree criminal mischief. The two men were later released on bond.

After being released, one of the Irizarrys went to L&M for treatment of an injury, police said, and encountered a third person involved in the Groton fight in the emergency department lobby. The fighting resumed. Police were called, but those involved fled before police arrived.

During the assault, several nurses and a doctor from the hospital initially attempted to stop the assault. The two male assailants  fled the hospital upon learning that hospital security and police were summoned. The  doctor, who wished to remain anonymous,  gave chase and was able to obtain descriptions of the two assailants and the vehicles they fled the scene in.