Two 18-year-old men from Dorchester were arrested Monday night after what police say was a chaotic moment at a street gathering that ended with a Boston officer punched in the face and a loaded stolen gun pulled from a suspect’s waistband.
Members of the Youth Violence Strike Force had been keeping an eye on a large crowd in the Geneva Avenue area around 9:31 p.m. when they detained several people, according to police. Most of those stopped were later released.
Police identified the two arrested men as Armanti Perez-Taylor, 18, of Dorchester, and 18-year-old Khyier Winfield Young, also of Dorchester, according to Newport Dispatch. Perez-Taylor faces charges of assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. Winfield Young faces multiple weapons charges. Both are expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court, the outlet reported.
How police say the encounter unfolded
Members of the Youth Violence Strike Force told investigators they had spotted a large party on Westville Street and noticed four males posted at the corners of Westville Terrace and Boyd Street who, in their view, appeared to be acting as security for the gathering.
Officers approached the group. When one of the males tried to run, an officer moved in to stop him, and the suspect allegedly responded by punching the officer in the face with a closed fist, according to police accounts. The officer and colleagues brought the suspect under control and took him into custody while other officers worked to calm and secure the area.
Loaded handgun recovered
Police say a second male in the group was frisked, and officers immediately felt what they recognized as the handle of a firearm. A brief struggle followed before officers secured the weapon and placed the man under arrest, according to Newport Dispatch.
Officers recovered a Smith & Wesson M&P 9c 9mm pistol loaded with nine rounds. The handgun was later determined to have been reported stolen, police said. The two other males who had been stopped were identified and released from the scene.
Why the strike force patrols here
The Youth Violence Strike Force is part of a long-running, targeted enforcement strategy that Boston has used to address illegal gun carrying and youth violence. The approach traces back to the Boston Gun Project and Operation Ceasefire, initiatives that have been profiled in federal reports and academic research.
Those profiles describe a model in which focused patrols and cooperation among local and federal agencies aim to disrupt illegal gun markets and reduce shootings. Enforcement is paired with community-based interventions designed to steer young people away from violence, according to the OJJDP.
What happens next
Both suspects are expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on the listed charges, and the case will move through the courts as prosecutors and defense attorneys review reports, witness statements, and other evidence.
As with all criminal cases, the charges remain allegations at this stage, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are found guilty in court.
