ATHOL — A local man faces assault charges stemming from a fight over how to dispose of a dead pet catfish.

Seth M. Allen, 20, of 137 Marble St., pleaded innocent to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon when he was arraigned Friday in Orange District Court.

According to Athol Police officer Todd W. Neale, he arrived at the family’s home at about 10:10 a.m. Jan. 6 and learned Allen and his stepfather got into a fistfight when they disagreed on how to dispose of their dead catfish. Neale was eventually joined by reserve officer Richard Martin.

Neale reports the stepfather said he and Allen were yelling at each other, and Allen slammed a door into his face, causing a swollen left eye. The stepfather said he went into the kitchen to clean the blood from his injury and noticed Allen raising a baseball bat before Allen’s mother took it from him.

Neale then spoke with Allen, who explained he accidentally kicked the door during the argument and it likely caused his stepfather’s injury. Allen told Neale he never had a bat in his hands during the fight, though he knew where in the apartment the family kept two bats. Neale then arrested Allen and took him to the Athol Police Department.

Neale returned to the apartment and took a bat as evidence.

Allen is due for a pretrial conference on Feb. 3.