The pro-Palestinian protester charged with punching a Boston Police officer and breaking his nose in last night’s melee with police has been held on $10,000 bail.
Roder Atwood, 21, made his appearance in Boston Municipal Court this morning where he was arraigned on a slew of charges including assault and battery on a police officer, and assault and battery resulting in serious bodily injury.
The judge in the case ordered Atwood held on $10,000 bail and the Somerville man was led from the courtroom in handcuffs.
Also arraigned Wednesday were Owen Woodcock, 26, and Amun Prophet, 25, of Boston who were both ordered held on $1,000 bail.
The judge ordered $500 bail for Prahlad Iyengar, 25, and Laith Hintzman, 19, of Boston and Benjamin Andre Choucroun, 20, of Medford.
All of the defendants were also ordered to stay out of Boston Common.
The group arraigned Wednesday were among 13 arrested. The remaining defendants will be arraigned Thursday. Four Boston police officers were injured.
– Breaking News update (previous coverage below)
One protester punched an officer in the face, breaking his nose and smashing his glasses, while another masked marcher fired pepper spray into the face of police trying to clear Tremont Street during a chaotic clash in Boston, according to a police report.
The report, released Wednesday in response to a request from the Herald, describes “rioting” conditions as police attempted to clear the way shut down by 200-300 pro-Palestinian protesters, many of whom were wearing masks and gloves, despite the warm temperatures.
Emergency vehicles attempting to get to another call in the area of Boston Common could not get through the street. Police said they were initially trying to get interlocked, chanting protesters to the sidewalk.
That’s when the violence began.
Almost immediately, according to the police report, an officer was struck in the face by a protester, “causing his nose to break.”
That protester, identified later in the report as Roder Atwood, 21, of Somerville, was arrested and charged with destruction of property for breaking the officer’s glasses, assault and battery on a police officer for breaking his nose, and assault and battery resulting in serious bodily injury.
An emergency room doctor reported the police officer will likely need plastic reconstructive surgery to rebuild and repair his nose, the police report states.
A total of four police officers were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained in the incident.
Atwood was additionally charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, unlawful assembly, disturbing the peace and interfering with a police officer. The 12 other protesters arrested will be arraigned on those same charges.
Another protester “deployed what appeared to be pepper spray” from behind the front row of demonstrators, which banger an officer in the face, “temporarily incapacitating him,” the police report states.
One of the officers then gave the go-ahead for police to return pepper spray on the protesters who were physically assaulting officers in her presence, the report states.
“Another protester lit and deployed a red smoke canister and road flare which filled the area with harmful colorful smoke which inhibited officers’ ability to breathe and see clearly,” the police report states.
The Tuesday night protest turned more violent when police attempted to arrest protesters after the two assaults on officers and deployment of the smoke canister device. Efforts to place the suspects in custody were “immediately met with more violence and resistance from other protesters,” the report states.
“As soon as the protest turned violent towards law enforcement, Captain Driscoll declared an officer in trouble incident at Tremont Street and Winter Street as the approximately 20 officers were outnumbered tenfold by the rioting protesters,” the police report states.
Backup arrived “within seconds,” with orders for the protesters to disperse from the middle of Tremont Street.
Protesters refused to clear the streets, instead directing “vulgar chants” at police, including screams of “(Expletive) you Nazis” and “BPD is KKK,” in full earshot of hundreds of pedestrians commuting home from work and people trying to enjoy the Boston Common, many of whom included elderly people and children, the report states.
The scene soon ensnared traffic — down Tremont Street as far as Court Street — with protesters locking arms in an attempt to overcome police efforts to clear the streets. Officers “were forced” to physically move protesters, “which caused the protesters to fight back,” the report states.
“As the protesters fought back, officers were placing suspects into handcuffs and taking them into custody for their role in the unlawful assembly and riotous behavior by blocking emergency vehicles on Tremont Street,” the report states.
“During the incident, many officers had their hats knocked off their head, radios pulled from their duty belts, body worn cameras unclipped from their vests, and other equipment dislodged from their belts,” the report went on to state.
Thirteen people were arrested, including eight men and five women. Seven of the suspects are from Boston.
Osama El Khatib, 26, Watertown
Roder Atwood, 21, Somerville
Atlanta Carrig-Braun, 20, Boston
Haley Macintyre, 24, Dorchester
Madeline Weikel, 27, Watertown
Jacob Pettigrew, 22, Malden
Amun Prophet, 25, Allston
Laith Hintzman, 19, Boston
Benjamin Andre Choucroun, 20, Medford
Owen Woodcock, 26, Boston
Prahlad Iyengar, 25, Boston
Styx Hatch, 19, Boston
Gabrielle Smith, 28, Cambridge
All are charged with: resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, unlawful assembly, interfering with a police officer, and disturbing the peace. Atwood faces additional charges of assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery resulting in serious bodily injury, and destruction of property.
The 13 suspects will be arraigned today in Boston Municipal Court.
The pro-Palestinian demonstration occurred on the two-year anniversary of the Hamas terror attack on Israel that sparked war in the region. A flyer distributed ahead of the event urged protesters to “Flood Downtown for Palestine.”
Police said the organizing group posted on social media that Oct. 7 would be day two of their “week of rage.”
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