Early Monday in Back Bay, a quiet stretch of Beacon Street briefly turned into a crime scene after a man allegedly threatened a couple outside their apartment building while swinging what witnesses thought was a crowbar. The couple pulled back from the entryway and waited things out in their car on Massachusetts Avenue until officers arrived. Neither person was hurt, and police later found and arrested a man matching the suspect’s description outside the same building.
Police account of the arrest
According to the Boston Police Department, officers from District D-4 were called to the 500 block of Beacon Street at about 2:33 a.m. after a caller reported a man at her door carrying what looked like a crowbar. Police say the suspect swung what appeared to be a crowbar at the callers, though neither person was struck.
When officers arrived, they located a man nearby who matched the description. During the arrest, police report recovering a black hydraulic strut sticking out of a backpack, a gray U-channel bracket wrapped in a T-shirt and a gray brick from the suspect’s pockets.
The man was identified by police as 28-year-old Hakeem Clark of Boston. He was transported to Nashua Street Jail for booking and is charged with possession of a burglarious instrument and assault by means of a dangerous weapon. Clark is expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court.
Neighborhood context
The confrontation unfolded at the edge of Back Bay and the South End near Massachusetts Avenue and Beacon Street, an area that sees plenty of late-night walkers heading to and from nearby residences, bars and transportation hubs. The arrest adds to a string of recent responses in District D-4, including a late-night gun call on Huntington Avenue earlier this year.
Legal next steps
The Boston Police Department says the investigation into the Beacon Street incident remains active and that no injuries have been reported. Clark is expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court on the listed charges, according to the Boston Police Department. Anyone with information is urged to contact officers at District D-4.
