One acquitted, one pleaded in Sheraton Society Hill wedding brawl

THREE YEARS AGO, cops rushed to the Sheraton Philadelphia Society Hill for radio calls of a disturbance and came upon a chaotic scene of multiple fights among members of one or two wedding parties.

Yesterday, two men who had been charged with aggravated assault - for a police sergeant who suffered a concussion in the melee - faced a nonjury trial.

But before the trial, Brian Lanza, 32, opted to plead guilty to a simple-assault charge. As part of his plea deal, he received two years' probation. Other charges against him were dropped.

The other, Matthew Sofka, 29, whom authorities contended caused the cop's concussion, took his case to trial and was acquitted by Common Pleas Judge Giovanni Campbell on all charges.

After three cops testified, Sofka's attorney, Fortunato "Fred" Perri Jr., called four witnesses to the stand, including Sofka. Their testimonies differed sharply from what the cops said.

About 30 family members and friends also showed up in support of Sofka, with many standing up as character witnesses for him.

Sofka was the best man at his brother Michael's Oct. 6, 2012, wedding. After the reception, at Vie on North Broad Street, guests returned to the Sheraton, on Dock Street near Walnut, where they were staying, in the early morning of Oct. 7.

Lanza, a friend, was a guest at the wedding. He and the Sofkas are from Westfield, located in North Jersey.

Testimony in the trial showed that another wedding party was at the Sheraton bar, but was not staying in the hotel overnight.

Police Officer Mario DeLuca testified he was one of the first responding officers about 1:30 a.m. Oct. 7. After seeing a "couple of females running out of the hotel with their dresses off," holding them to their chests, he said he saw a sergeant moving one wedding party out of the hotel (the group not staying at the hotel), while members of Sofka's group stayed in the hotel.

DeLuca said he was smacked in the face by a bride and was about to take her into custody, when Sofka pushed him.

He said then-Sgt. Sean Dandridge tried to put Sofka into custody, but was knocked to the ground by Sofka and the two were fighting until DeLuca said he tased Sofka.

Officer Ruth Colon said she saw a group of men try to jump Dandridge, and then saw Sofka punch Dandridge several times in the head. She said she hit Sofka with her asp until someone grabbed her and slammed her against a wall. She said she then saw Sofka kicking Dandridge in the head.

Dandridge, who was a sergeant in Chinatown's 6th District at the time and is now a lieutenant in Germantown's 14th District, testified that he came upon multiple fights in the hotel.

"People were very disrespectful, belligerent, a lot of people were very intoxicated," he said.

He said after he went to assist DeLuca, who got smacked, he was pushed by two men and then blacked out. He said when he came to, and got up, he put one of the men in a headlock. Other cops assisted him until DeLuca tased the man, Dandridge said.

Dandridge said he didn't know he had a concussion until he went to Hahnemann University Hospital the next day.

Sofka, however, testified that he didn't punch or kick any cop. He said when he returned to the hotel after his brother's reception, there were people fighting among each other in the other wedding party, but no one in his group was fighting.

Nicole Sannuti-Sofka, the woman who got married to Sofka's brother, said she didn't smack any cop. She said she saw a fight escalating among the other group. When cops rushed in, she said she was pushed to the ground by a cop.

She said she saw cops forcefully holding down her brother-in-law.

Sofka's girlfriend, Makyla Nichols, testified that Dandridge pushed her onto the floor. She said Sofka tried to help her up but was "swung at, then put away in a headlock and beaten."

William Petitto, a friend of the Sofkas, testified similarly.

A 1-minute, 12-second video, captured by a hotel guest on an upper floor, showed part of the lobby melee. It showed a chaotic scene among cops and civilians. Dandridge is seen putting Sofka in a headlock and other cops are seen beating Sofka with asps.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Krouse told the judge the video only showed part of what occurred. He called the cops' testimonies credible.

Perri said cops encountered a scene of "complete chaos," but in the video, "you can't see any civilian at all fighting." He said the video clearly showed Sofka reaching down to help his girlfriend.

After closing arguments, Campbell immediately pronounced Sofka "not guilty," finding "ample doubt" in the case.

Lanza, in pleading guilty to simple assault, agreed he had got on a table in the hotel and kicked Dandridge in the head at least twice.

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