Baseball bats, sticks, weapons: Georgia family unleashes 'Sopranos'-style violent turf war against rivals

UPDATED: Jan 1, 2025 00:47 IST

Six men from the same family are facing charges after allegedly attacking employees of a rival paving company in a violent confrontation that Monroe County authorities compared to a scene from the TV show 'The Sopranos', Fox News reported.

The incident occurred on December 19, 2024, when the Buckland family, who work for a paving company in Bolingbroke, Georgia, reportedly clashed with workers from EH Paving during a job in Bolingbroke.

According to police records, the Buckland family members—Mark Buckland Sr., Mark Buckland Jr., Willy Buckland Sr., Willy Buckland Jr., Luke Buckland, and James Small—arrived at the job site in multiple trucks around 1 p.m. that afternoon. Upon arrival, they reportedly exited the vehicles armed with baseball bats, sticks, and other weapons, leading to a violent confrontation with the EH Paving workers, the report said.

Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman described the scene as "like something out of ‘The Sopranos’ TV series." Deputies were called to the scene after a 911 caller reported a "large fight" involving "bats and guns." The owner of EH Paving told authorities that Mark Buckland Sr., 50, tried to strike his son over the head with a bat. The owner also alleged that Willy Buckland Jr., 22, and Small, Buckland Sr.'s son-in-law, attacked another family member, while Luke Buckland, 28, assaulted the owner's nephew.

The conflict reportedly stemmed from the belief that EH Paving was working too close to a property owned by the Bucklands. The EH Paving owner suggested that the Bucklands were upset by the job being performed near their land, viewing it as "disrespectful." He also alleged that Mark Buckland Sr. was carrying a "cowboy-style" gun and pointed it in his face during the altercation.

The situation escalated further when a member of the EH Paving crew fired a gun into a wooded area, possibly in an attempt to break up the fight. Mark Buckland Jr. later told officers that he had been punched in the mouth and downplayed the confrontation, calling it "just a misunderstanding."

The six family members face multiple charges, including criminal trespass, simple battery, aggravated assault, and tampering with evidence. Mark Buckland Sr. is also charged with pointing a gun at another person. All six men were released by Monday morning. Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.