Police fire beanbags at knife-wielding man they say demanded they shoot him, on Franklin Street downtown

Boston Police report officers in Downtown Crossing had to fire beanbags to subdue a man who refused to drop a knife at Winter and Washington street even after they pepper sprayed him early this morning, following a foot chase that ended on Franklin Street.

Police say that shortly before 1:40 a.m., a group of people approached a sergeant on patrol to report some guy was running down Winter Street with a knife and that he had swung it at them.

Moments later, officers observed a male matching the description of the suspect pacing back and forth in the intersection of Winter and Washington Streets with an unknown object in his hand. As the officers approached the male, they confirmed that he was holding a knife. The officers ordered the suspect to drop the knife and get down on the ground. The suspect ignored the officer’s commands to drop the knife and fled on foot up Washington Street towards Franklin Street.

Throughout a lengthy foot pursuit through the streets of Downtown Boston, the suspect repeatedly stated that he did nothing wrong and told the officers to shoot him. In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, the officers deployed their department issued Oleoresin Capsicum spray towards the suspect, with minimal effect on him.

After the suspect ignored multiple commands by the officers to drop the knife, the Sergeant on scene deployed multiple shots from a “less-lethal” bean bag shotgun, striking the suspect, and causing him to fall to the ground and drop the knife. Officers were then able to take the suspect into custody without further incident or injury.

Kenneth Kelley, 42. , of Londonderry NH, was taken to a local hospital for observation. He was charged with four counts of assault by means of a dangerous weapon as well as disturbing the peace and resisting arrest, police say.

The capture: