Somebody shooting BB gun at cops, others from high up in the round senior-housing tower in Egleston Square, police say

By adamg on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 12:24pm

Boston Police report somebody on an upper balcony at the Walnut Park Apartments - the round 20-story tower on Columbus Avenue near Washington Street - keeps shooting a BB gun at officers and has managed to hit one of them.

Police say Transit Police officer have also been shot at at least twice, as was a man just walking by the tower.

Police say an officer in his cruiser on Washington Street was hit in the left forearm by a BB pellet that also damaged his window, around 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Upon exiting his cruiser, the officer observed three individuals on an upper balcony of the BHA Walnut Park Apartments building located at 1990 Columbus Avenue in Roxbury.

Another officer was shot at - but not hit, around 8 p.m. on March 25, while a passerby was hit, several times, around 10:20 p.m. the next night.

During both incidents, the parties involved indicated that the shots had come from an upper balcony of 1990 Columbus Avenue.

Police say Transit Police have reported two similar attacks.

Anybody with information can contact detectives at 617-343-5628 or the anonymous tip line by calling 800-494-TIPS or by texting TIP to CRIME (27463).

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Comments

A pellet gun/rifle .17.5 or .22

By anon on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 1:01pm.

Neither a BB or Airsoft could fire tjat length.

Sure a BB or pellet gun could get a person from the 20th floor

By anon on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 5:58pm.

Air guns will easily shoot a person from the top of a building. Air guns have gotten really excellent since you last tried using a Crossman or Daisy BB gun, for example the Benjamin Marauder will do nicely: https://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Marauder_Semi_Auto_SAM_PCP_Air_R...

There are many more air guns that are just as effective as that, and used ones can be had at bargain prices. Or maybe cheaper still, a stolen air rifle could be used.

Oh Man

By Residente on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 1:07pm.

Sounds like an 11 year old to me. Hopefully they can go through a restorative justice process with the officers and they have an opportunity to repair the harm they've caused. Could be a life changing teachable moment.

An 11 year old can murder someone....

By Pete Nice on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 1:10pm.

and cannot legally get charged. So there would be no police action if it were an 11 year old.

Unless, of course

By SwirlyGrrl on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 2:23pm.

The cops decide that the kid "looks older" and a bb gun is "a real threat".

RIP Tamir Rice

Wait...

By eeka on Sun, 04/11/2021 - 2:42pm.

Aren't you a cop?

Criminal charges are different from police action. Pretty much all of the juvenile court cases on which I've been an expert that involved children engaging in violence did have a police response to the scene and usually an emergency* removal and placement in a hospital or diagnostic program. Some children are eventually placed in quality programs where they can get help (or they are thoroughly evaluated and something is determined to have likely been a one-off) and others are placed in programs that are not technically the criminal justice system, but are actively part of the pipeline and do nothing in terms of teaching and rehabilitation.

(*The law allows DCF to immediately take emergency custody without first having a court order when there is an immediate threat to the safety of the child. The context of these laws requires that this is caused by the caregivers abusing/neglecting the child, not just the presence of an overall complicated/urgent situation. This law is wrongly relied on in MA all the time, such as instances like this when most parents I encounter have been perfectly willing to sign the child into a hospital without the state taking custody.)

They mentioned “restorative justice”

By Pete Nice on Sun, 04/11/2021 - 8:22pm.

Which simply doesn’t happen with the police and 11 year olds. That was my point. 11 year olds can never be held before a criminal or juvenile court. DCF removals are different.

Gotcha

By eeka on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 1:18pm.

I thought you were stating that since BPD was involved, it couldn't have been an under-14.

DYS does some degree of restorative justice work. Many of the programs do things like having youths meet with people they have impacted. Even when not possible/the victim isn't interested in participating, the work at the youth programs is around understanding the impact of the offense.

Another possibility

By SwirlyGrrl on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 2:24pm.

An elder with declining judgement has a bb gun.

There's no such thing as elderly housing

By Waquiot on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 2:32pm.

The facilities are for "low- and moderate- elderly and disabled persons." I do believe that the latter includes people with mental health issues. If bets were being taken on the perpetrator, I put $2 that this is being done by a disabled person. I guess we should be happy that the gun only shoots bb shot.

Thank you Transit Police

By anon on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 1:47pm.

In the past couple of weeks your officers have been attacked at Braintree station. Harvard station and Newmarket station . Your police cruisers have been shot at pissed on and smashed up. I now understand why you don't want to get into confrontations with unruly passengers who refuse to wear their masks or pay their fares.