QUINCY - Quincy Police responded to separate instances of gang members clashing with members of an anti-gangs group.

The first incident occurred Wednesday at about 3:30 p.m., when police were called to reports of known gang members yelling at each other in the street at First Avenue Southeast and C Street Southeast. Upon arrival, one group was located and, while they were being identified, the second group returned to the scene, according to Quincy Police Sgt. Paul Snyder.

Marty L. Gonzalez, 30, and Eddie Alvarez Hernandez, 21, were booked on Department of Corrections violations of their probation. Erika A. Hernandez, 23, was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct stemming from the disturbance, but was released at the Quincy Police Department due to an over-full jail, Snyder said.

"This incident was between two gangs," he stated. "We are withholding the names of the gangs to avoid giving them notoriety."

Later that evening, at about 5 p.m., Quincy police responded to another disturbance report at the same location, finding two groups of about four people arguing in the street. One group was associated with one of the gangs while the other group was comprised of members of Stop the Violence, a group of Quincy residents that became active last September following the shooting of Ramiro Munoz, Jr., allegedly by gang members.

Both sides of last week's initial confrontation reportedly told police the other side started it, but Snyder said based on the investigation, it appears both groups were challenging each other to fight in the street, using gestures and "foul language."

"They were threatening to beat each other up with a lot of yelling," he said Thursday. "There was nothing physical, but it took place in the middle of street."

On Thursday, Quincy Police again responded to the intersection after receiving reports of yet another disturbance, this involving two females who were both involved in the incidents from the prior day, Snyder said.

Hernandez, the woman released due to a full jail Wednesday, joined Sonia Munoz, 31, in being arrested for disorderly conduct after they were allegedly challenging each other to fight using gestures and words.

The Grant County Jail this time allowed both subjects to be booked, despite still being near capacity.

"The jail said they're pretty well full up but we had to do something about the situation," said Quincy Police Chief Richard Ackerman last week. "I was pretty emphatic saying they really needed to squeeze them in. I don't care if they put them in a closet somewhere. If we don't get them out of town the problem is going to get worse."

Ackerman said the situation is exacerbated by the fact that certain gang members reside just a few houses away from a home in which members of the Stop the Violence group are living. Despite his support of citizen action to combat gang violence in the city, he stressed the Quincy Police Department has a "zero tolerance policy" to any kind of violence or criminal activity.

"I don't care what group you're in, if you're an antagonist you're going to jail," he said. "We can't take sides, we have to enforce the law equally across the board. It's a drain on the city's resources to be constantly dealing with these people that are yelling back and forth. They don't understand the concept of turning around and walking away, turn the other cheek. They insist on being antagonists on both sides."