Video obtained by “Real Boston Media” and posted on social media shows a confrontation between a Boston police officer and a group of young people in a city parking garage last month.
The video shows the officer with his firearm drawn. He can be heard issuing commands to the young people as they talk over him.
According to a police incident report, the officer responded to the garage around 9 p.m. on September 27 for a report of people dressed in black attempting to steal from unlocked cars. The report states he found himself alone with five suspects, some of them juveniles who were arrested in the past for assaults.
The garage incident is coming to light after the torching of a Boston police cruiser in the South End last weekend. It landed two teenagers in court.
Fall River police say they also responded to a large-scale street takeover on Sunday morning. Officers arrested five people, ages 19 to 22, after a group of people blocked roadways and did donuts with their cars.
Candidate for governor on incidents
immediately, some politicians are seizing on these incidents. “I do not see leadership from Michelle Wu or Maura Healey on this issue. They should be out there, today, supporting the police. They should be out there, today, calling for bail reform,” said Brian Shortsleeve, a Republican candidate for Massachusetts governor.
His opponent, incumbent Governor Maura Healey, issued a statement after the South End incident.
“Let me be perfectly clear. Anyone who targets police and destroys police property, or who comes to Massachusetts and engages in dangerous and destructive conduct like last weekend’s drag racing and out of control attack, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Healey wrote.
On Wednesday, Gov. Healey will hold a press conference to address “illegal car meetups” taking place in Massachusetts.
The source of the violence changes depending on who you ask. WBZ Security Analyst and former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told WBZ he believes a lack of prosecution is driving these incidents. “There’s a backlash to liberal laws that just don’t want to hold people accountable,” Davis said.
Criminal defense attorney Peter Elikann disagrees. “People committing criminal acts often do it on impulse. They don’t think of the consequences,” Elikann said.
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