Brockton man acquitted of bar slaying

BROCKTON (AP) - A Brockton man has been acquitted of charges that he fatally stabbed a father of two during a brawl outside a city bar.

The defendant's lawyer says jurors deliberated for three hours before returning a not guilty verdict last month, agreeing with the defense's contention that the killing was in self-defense.

Eugenio Lopes had been charged with murder in the June 2009 death of Jose Gongon Morales during a fight outside the Cardoso Café.

The defense lawyer, John Connors, tells The Enterprise that a friend of Morales punched Lopes first. Lopes testified that he started stabbing wildly but could not see anything because his jacket had been pulled over his head. Morales was stabbed twice.

Authorities say the dispute broke out after Lopes took a cigarette from Morales' girlfriend.

Information from: The Enterprise, http://www.enterprisenews.com