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Boston Police Commissioner William Gross says he's feeling uneasy after an incident Tuesday involving a group of “hostile” protesters that allegedly interfered with a firearms arrest.
The department said in a statement covered by CBS4 that officers on duty June 23 were “surrounded and assaulted” by the crowd around 5:40 p.m. while attempting to engage the suspect, who was wearing a fanny pack and had been reported to have a weapon.
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“I’m alarmed by the level of hostility my officers had to face while arresting a felon armed with an illegal firearm,” Gross said in a statement. “They were attacked by members of the very same community they were attempting to protect by affecting this arrest. ... Public safety is a shared responsibility. We need to continue to work together, not in opposition.”
As police tried to gain control of the suspect, 44-year-old Jermaine Thomas, the crowd grew and someone opened a fire hydrant, aiming a heavy flow of water in their direction. Thomas was able to grab an officer’s wrist, causing a police body camera to be knocked to the ground.
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Officers recovered a loaded revolver and charged Thomas with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and resisting arrest.
He is expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court.
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