Don’t bring a stick to a knife fight

On January 31, 2019, in Latest News, by The Somerville Times

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to the Dunkin’ Donuts on Broadway last Saturday morning on reports of a fight in progress, possibly involving a knife.

Upon arrival, the officers found a large crowd of people in the parking lot who had stopped to observe the commotion.

A man known to the officers as Victor Rodriguez, of Lynn, approached them and reportedly said that he had just been in a fight with another man.

According to police, Rodriguez appeared to be intoxicated, due to his slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.

Rodriguez told the officers that he had been in an altercation with a male in the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot. He reportedly alleged that the man had cut his sweatshirt with a knife. Rodriguez showed the officers an abrasion on his sweatshirt that appeared to be from wear and tear, not a cut that would be inflicted by a cutting instrument.

A witness approached the officers, stating that she had taken a picture of the man who had fled the parking lot. The officers then gave the description of the subject out over the radio, and a short time later was notified that another police unit had located the suspect at the intersection of Pearl and Jasper Streets.

The officers went to that location where they met with the suspect, who had already been handcuffed, and they read him his Miranda rights.

The suspect reportedly told police that he was in the area of Foss Park, across the street from Dunkin’ Donuts, when he witnessed a 30-year-old Hispanic man verbally assaulting a 60-year-old man.

The suspect said that he tried to stop the man from harassing the older man, at which point the man turned his attention towards him. An altercation allegedly broke out, and a group of four men and a woman surrounded him. The 30-year-old man allegedly made threats to kill him.

During the altercation, the woman reportedly picked up a large stick and struck the suspect in the side with it. The 30-year-old man took a knife from another person on scene and allegedly threatened him with it.

The suspect said that he then fled across the street towards Dunkin’ Donuts while the group chased him. In fear for his life, the suspect armed himself with a broken piece of glass from the ground, then fled the area, until he was apprehended by the police.

I police officers found the suspect’s statement to be believable, so they removed the handcuffs, then returned to Dunkin’ Donuts to investigate further.

Upon arrival, they spoke with a woman, Emma Wile, who stated that the suspect had punched her in the face. The officers found no signs of injury to Wile’s face or person.

Upon watching playback of the store’s surveillance video, the officers observed the former suspect apparently fleeing from someone as he ran into the camera’s view in the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot, followed by Wile.

Wile reportedly charged at the suspect, and was joined shortly thereafter by Rodriguez, who appeared to have an object in his hand, which at one point he drops, then picks up again. Rodriguez reportedly brandished the object in a way that suggested it was a weapon.

Next, the former suspect appeared to stand his ground a couple of times, but ultimately fled up Edmands St.

A witness on scene reportedly told police that Rodriguez and another man had instigated the fight, and that Rodriguez had brandished a knife. The former suspect further stated that before police arrived on the scene, Rodriguez had handed the knife off to the third unidentified man, who left the area.

Rodriguez and Wile were both handcuffed and placed under arrest. While Rodriguez was being placed in the back of the prisoner transport, he reportedly became combative and physically struggled with officers.

During the struggle, Rodriguez reportedly slammed an officer against the frame of the transport unit door. Additionally, Rodriguez kicked another officer in the shin. He was subsequently sprayed with a burst of pepper spray in an attempt to control him.

Rodriguez was booked on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct, assault and battery on a police officer, and resisting arrest, and on warrant charges of assault and battery on a police officer, sexual conduct for a fee, and resisting arrest.

Wile was booked on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct.

 

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