Stonington -- The arrest warrant for a town highway department employee charged in connection with a fight with a landscaper last month paints a chaotic scene of profanity, punches and kicks, a paving rake wielded like a hockey stick and a landscaper using a lawn chair like a lion tamer to fend off highway employees.

The details of the June 23 on-the-job altercation on Prentice Williams Road in Old Mystic are included in the arrest warrant for Timothy T. Keena, 57, of 11 Stewart Road, Pawcatuck, who turned himself in to police Saturday morning after police alerted him there was a warrant for his arrest. He was charged with third-degree assault. He was released on a promise to appear in New London Court July 18. He declined to comment Monday on the advice of his attorney.

The landscaper, Morgan S. Dean, 36, of 29 Clarks Falls Road in North Stonington, was charged with breach of peace, third-degree assault and second-degree assault. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on a $5,000 bond. He is next slated to appear in court on Aug. 5.

According to the warrant prepared by veteran officer Thomas Wholean, he and other officers arrived at the scene about 11:25 a.m. after receiving a report from the highway department about an assault. In addition to Keena and Dean, highway employees Edward Nardi, Timothy Gouvin, Adam Brown and Joseph Ferraro were there. Police found that Keena had a large contusion to the left side of his cheek and complained of left ankle pain, Ferraro had redness to his right ear and left thumb pain and Dean had suffered a laceration to the bridge of his nose and left side of the back of his head. Keena and Ferraro were treated at a hospital for minor injuries. Dean declined treatment.

Both Dean and the highway employees agreed that the dispute began when Dean drove his tractor over a freshly paved piece of road to reach a lawn on the street. Highway employees began yelling at him to stop and confronted him, using profanities.

At that point versions of what occurred differ.

Keena told police he approached Dean with a rake in his hand and became involved in an argument with him. He admitted walking over to Dean and asking him “What the (expletive) is your problem?” Police said Keena appeared disoriented and confused at the scene but later told police that Dean shoved and punched him and he punched him back. Keena said he fell and picked up the rake to defend himself. He said his ankle was injured when Dean, a mixed martial arts fighter, took his legs out from him with a leg sweep. Other highway workers said Dean kicked Keena in the head when he was on the ground.

Ferraro said Dean pushed Keena and Keena pushed back. Dean then punched Keena and Keena retaliated with a punch before falling to the ground where Dean kicked him in the head.

“Then I had to do something. I’m a small guy. I ran up and he punched me to the right side of the head. I was done,” said Ferraro, who added he had not tried to punch Dean. He said he was “150 percent sure” Keena never approached Dean with a rake because the rakes were on the truck. Police, though, found the rake in the yard after the altercation. Ferraro said he feared for Keena's safety when he ran up to the two men but he had no intention to fight Dean.

While Gouvin originally corroborated Keena and Ferraro’s story, he later told police that he had gone to the truck to call police and when he got back Keena was on the ground bleeding and Ferraro was hurt. He added the scene was a blur.

“Nothing like this has ever happened like this in the 20 years I’ve been with the town. It’s like you’re in shock,” Gouvin said.

Brown said that after Dean drove over the asphalt in his 700-pound tractor “I saw the amazing (expletive) thing I have ever seen in my whole. Dean launches himself right off the mower at Timmy (Keena). It was like they both hit each other at close to the same time.”

Brown said that after the two punches and the kick, Dean and Keena struggled over the rake, Dean tried to kick Keena in the groin and then picked up the lawn chair saying, “OK, I’ll take on all four of you (expletives).”

Dean, though, said that Keena approached him with the rake and began threatening him with it. He said Keena then used the rake like a hockey stick to cross check him to the bridge of the nose, breaking his glasses. Police said the wound was consistent with a glasses frame being forced into the skin.

Dean admitted to punching Keena in the head and punching Ferraro after he said Ferraro swung at him and missed At that point, he said Keena got up and grabbed the rake. Dean said he then grabbed the rake and threw it farther into the yard which was consistent with where police said they found it. At that point, Dean said three highway employees were coming at him and Keena was swinging the rake like a baseball bat.

“It’s four on one,” he told police.

At that point he said he picked up a lawn chair “like a lion tamer” and told the four employees coming at him to stop.

That’s when the dispute subsided and police arrived.

Dean said he never kicked Keena in the head and police said there were no fresh scuff mark on Dean’s boots as if they had been used as weapons. He also said that he was experienced with paving and knew his tractor would not damage the crew’s work.

First Selectman Rob Simmons said Monday that Director of Public Works Barbara McKrell had discussed the arrest with Keena on Monday when he returned to work. He said she would make a decision on any possible punishment.

j.wojtas@theday.com