Last night, A local basketball tournament was reaching its peak, an interruption came not from the sound of cheers, but from the swift action of Boston's Youth Violence Strike Force. Anthony Diaz, 18, of Malden, and Braxten Baker, 18, of Brockton, found themselves in custody, amidst an event intended to celebrate community and athleticism in Roxbury's Malcolm X Park.
The incident unfolded at approximately 9:36 PM Yesterday, when officers, deployed to bolster the sense of security, noticed Diaz and Baker who seemed less than enthralled by the game, instead focusing their gaze on the patrolling officers. Over time, one of the officers identified the tell-tale signs of Diaz concealing a firearm; at which point a strategic approach was made. Diaz's attempt to flee only expedited his apprehension, and in the fray, a handgun was secured from his person.
Meanwhile, Baker, it seemed, decided confrontation was the route to take, inserting himself into the fraying edges of the scene, obstructing the officers as they worked to restrain Diaz. Efforts that were meant to aid his acquaintance instead earned Baker his own set of charges.
The recovered weapon was a black Ruger semi-automatic with a modified identity its serial number, untraceable. According to Boston Police Department official report, the gun was equipped with a "six ray" laser attachment, a black magazine, was housing six rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, and, in the chamber, one ready-to-fire.
Diaz is now facing charges that include Carrying a Firearm Without a License and Unlawful Possession of Ammunitions among others; his arraignment is set in Roxbury District Court. Similarly, Baker will find himself before the bench, facing charges for Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest.
