Peabody police say two officers were injured during an attempted arrest at Northshore Mall on Monday, Sept. 21. The officers were trying to detain two people accused of taking about $1,660 in merchandise from Macy’s; police say the male suspect drove off, hit both officers and dragged one across the parking lot. Both officers received medical treatment.
Accounts from NBC Boston and the Newport Dispatch say a Macy’s loss-prevention employee confronted the man inside the store. The Newport Dispatch reported that police allege he behaved threateningly toward the employee, and that the two suspects left with merchandise without paying.
The male suspect then got into a vehicle and drove away, striking two Peabody police officers and dragging one of them in the process, per that account. Both officers sustained injuries and received medical treatment, the outlet reported. Neither officer's name, specific injuries, or current condition has been disclosed in available reporting.
Suspect Identified, Arrested Days Later
NBC Boston identified the man accused of hitting the officers as Romello McCain, 20. Mass Daily News gave his first name as “Ronelle,” 20, of Boston; the difference in spelling has not been independently resolved.
The Newport Dispatch reported that McCain was arrested Thursday, Sept. 24, by Boston police and the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Peabody District Court on Friday, Sept. 25.
Conflicting Reports on Charges
Reports differ on the number and nature of the charges against McCain. NBC Boston reported five charges, including assault and battery on a police officer. The Newport Dispatch listed unarmed robbery; assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon; assault and battery on a police officer; resisting arrest; wanton destruction of property; and leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury and property damage. These accounts do not provide a matching charge count.
The Newport Dispatch reported that Ta’kerria Tanae Sherrod-Greene, 20, of Boston, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with unarmed robbery.
A Separate Shoplifting-Related Case in Stoneham
The Peabody case is not the only Massachusetts report of an officer being dragged by a vehicle during a shoplifting-related incident. In Stoneham in 2020, a vehicle leaving a Famous Footwear store after a potential shoplifting report allegedly struck and dragged an officer a short distance, WCVB reported. Police identified the driver as Marquise Henry, 37, of Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. The officer was not seriously injured, according to WCVB.
The FBI Crime Data Explorer includes a report on flash-mob shoplifting incidents from 2020 to 2024.
How the FBI Defines Flash-Mob Shoplifting
The FBI describes flash-mob or flash-rob shoplifting as an organized group targeting a specific store at the same time, according to its overview of organized retail theft. The Peabody reports describe two suspects, and the available allegations do not establish that the incident fits that definition.
