A Hopkinton man was arrested Wednesday night on three charges, including attempted murder, after a serious physical altercation involving the suspect and a 21-year-old man at Sandy Beach, according to police.

Stephen Dana, 70, was arrested and charged with attempt to murder, two counts of strangulation/suffocation and assault and battery on a disabled person, according to a statement released Thursday morning by Hopkinton Police Deputy Chief Scott van Raalten.

These charges stem from a reported fight in progress at about 6:55 p.m. Wednesday. Four police officers responded. They quickly identified the parties involved in the altercation and began to conduct an initial investigation.

In order to keep the parties separate, officers asked Dana, who lives in the same neighborhood, to return to his home and wait for police.

The investigation determined that Dana had gotten into a physical altercation with another individual, a 21-year-old male, over this person’s use of Lake Maspenock.

The only boat ramp to the lake, which straddles Hopkinton and Milford, exists on Lakeshore Drive. It is limited to use by Hopkinton residents only from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

According to police, officers reviewed video footage, which showed Dana slapping the younger male across the face before the parties ended up in a struggle in the water. At that point, Dana was shown forcefully holding the 21-year-old under the water. People nearby then pulled Dana off of the male.

Officers also were made aware that the 21-year-old had been involved in an accident a few months prior that caused severe injuries and that he was walking with crutches.

HPD arrested Dana without incident at his residence. He was transported to the police station and held without bail pending arraignment later Thursday at Framingham District Court.

Both Dana and the 21-year-old male declined to be transported to an area hospital for medical treatment, according to the statement.

Police believe that Dana approached the victim because he was not a Hopkinton resident. Dana apparently accosted him about use of the lake, which escalated to violence.

“This is an incident of senseless violence that could have had tragic results, and we treat matters like this with the utmost seriousness,” stated van Raalten. “The Hopkinton Police Department asks that residents contact the proper authorities to investigate incidents that involve the enforcement of the town’s bylaws rather than taking matters into their own hands.

“Our goal during an investigation is to obtain the clearest picture of the incident so that we can understand the circumstances, which is often difficult given the heightened emotions of the parties involved,” he continued. “Our responding officers did an outstanding job remaining professional while navigating this investigation. There is no place for unnecessary violence in Hopkinton.”

Issues with nonresident use of Sandy Beach have been raised by abutters and other residents for many years. Members of the Sandy Beach Subcommittee and the Lake Maspenock Preservation Association have shared concerns over speeding jet skiers and nonresidents attempting to gain access to Sandy Beach, particularly during off-hours.

Parks & Recreation Director Jon Lewitus acknowledged the illegal use of jet skis and boaters using the boat launch is a major concern with neighbors of Sandy Beach. He said the LMPA has “noticed a lot of improvement” with changes made to the beach in recent years.

Lewitus also noted that one of the major problems with nonresident use is enforcement during the offseason and outside of operating hours. “It’s not until the end of June where Parks & Rec staff will be on-site seven days a week,” he said.

He added that Hopkinton Police are assisting Parks & Rec with enforcement of beach rules. His department plans to use the offseason to look at improving rule enforcement further.

This story will be updated as more information is received.