By Times Staff
Vernon St., (above) for a reported breaking and entering in progress.
Police shot and arrested a knife-wielding man who allegedly smashed the front glass doors of a popular local restaurant at 5:45 AM on Wednesday.
Police responded to a burglar alarm that was reported by a resident who lives in one of the condos above the 1928 Beacon Hill restaurant at 97 Mt. Vernon St. In addition, two employees of a local company, who happened to be working inside the restaurant at the time of the incident, called 911 after they had fled the premises through the back door upon seeing a man holding a large knife.
Speaking at a news conference shortly after the incident, Police Superintendent Paul McLaughlin said that upon arriving at the scene, the officers located the suspect, who was naked, in the alleyway behind the restaurant brandishing a large knife. He said the officers ordered the man to lay down the knife and when he refused, one of the officers applied his Taser.
When the Taser did not subdue the suspect, McLaughlin said the officers shot the suspect. The officers applied emergency first aid medical treatment to the suspect, who was transported to Mass. General Hospital, reportedly with non life-threatening injuries.
West Cedar St., which runs alongside the building at 97 Mt. Vernon St., was closed off to traffic for most of the day on Wednesday while police continued their investigation of the incident.
“As to exactly how he got in, what damage he might have caused, all those things. we’re going to find that out,” McLaughlin said. “What the motive behind what he was doing, we don’t know, and we hope to find out.”
Mayor Michelle Wu, who was at another event in the city that morning, expressed her reaction to the incident to reporters.
“Anytime there’s any incident of violence, it is completely unacceptable in our city, and I’m grateful that our first responders always are there, and especially in this instance,” said the mayor. “This is another reminder of the risk and sacrifice that our officers take on every single day. So I’m very grateful that they are safe.”
McLaughlin said that with the investigation still ongoing, “We are asking anyone in this area that may have information relative to what happened, any video, anything that they might be able to add to this investigation, to contact the Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470, or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-494-TIPS.”