Cops: Middle Island man charged in May shooting outside East Main Street restaurant

A Middle Island man has been arrested in connection to a Memorial Day weekend shooting that resulted in two injuries outside the Mambo Grill and Lounge.

Police said Paul Houpe, 29, was arrested Friday on multiple charges related to the incident. He faces two counts of second-degree assault, first-degree attempted assault and second-degree criminal use of a firearm.

He’s also been charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Police said detectives worked in conjunction with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office in the investigation, which remains ongoing. Mr. Houpe was held pending arraignment in Riverhead Town Justice Court.

Police said at the the time of the incident that a few patrons got into the dispute shortly after 1 a.m. at the restaurant, which opened last November at the former Che Argentinian Steakhouse at 33 E. Main St.

The altercation spilled out onto a back deck and walkway behind the restaurant, where police said it escalated before the shots were fired.

The two men who were injured by the gunshots were taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Mr. Houpe had been arrested in 2015 for allegedly punching a woman in the face at a Greenport bar.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact police at 631-727-4500.