An East Boston man faces charges after a daring daylight robbery spree in Revere. Isreal Bullard, 63, was charged on January 17 with two counts of attempting to commit a crime and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, according to a press release by the Suffolk District Attorney's Office. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Judge Stuart Hurowitz released Bullard on personal recognizance; he is expected to return to court on March 21 for a pre-trial hearing.
The first incident unfolded on January 9, at approximately 1:46 p.m., when Revere police raced to a Target at 36 Furlong Drive to investigate an attempted robbery. A Target employee described a man, who let other customers pass by in line, insisting on "going to wait." The situation escalated when the man attempted to force the employee to open the cash register by alleging he had a gun. The suspect later fled in a taxi, which led police to Bullard after working with Tunnel Taxi, the cab company he used, as per the Suffolk District Attorney's Office.
Remarkably, another attempted robbery was reported that same day at the Citizens Bank inside Stop and Shop, in the same plaza as Target. A bank employee was approached with the words "this is a robbery," followed by references to a potential shooting, as stated in the DA's announcement. Police later connected both incidents to Bullard, who had a previous criminal record including a larceny conviction in 2012 and a subsequent unarmed robbery.
In response to a string of retail crimes that have left communities, particularly minority ones, without essential services, the "Safe Shopping Initiative" was launched in 2024. Spearheaded by Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden's office, the initiative seeks to bolster consumer and employee safety amidst the closure of several Boston pharmacies. "We want consumers to feel safe going in to stores, and we want employees to feel safe going in to work. Quality of life while shopping and working is the target goal for us, and working with police and retail partners is the best way to achieve that goal," Hayden reiterated the initiative’s principles.
