At about 11:20pm, on Wednesday, September 29, 2010, officers from Area A-1 (Downtown) responded to a radio call for a domestic incident (specifically a wife threatening her husband with a knife) at the Holiday Inn on Blossom Street. An officer assigned to Area A-1 (Downtown) took the initial call. Upon answering the phone, the officer spoke to a male caller who stated that he was inside Room 302 at the Holiday Inn. The male caller further stated that his wife was chasing and threatening him with a knife. The male caller told officers that he was locked inside the bathroom inside the hotel room and he needed help. However, when the officer attempted to gather additional information, the alleged victim began laughing, swore at the officer and, then, hung up the phone.
Officers responded to the hotel to look into the veracity of the call. While en route to the call, a second call was made to the Boston Police Operations Division. According to the caller, again the same male caller, his wife, now high on cocaine, was still threatening him with the knife.
On arrival, officers spoke to hotel personnel who stated that the third floor of the hotel was occupied and used as additional housing by Suffolk University. Officers proceeded to Room 302 and knocked on the door. When the door opened, officers were met and greeted by two female students. When asked if anyone was in need of help or in trouble, both students stated that they were fine. Although, both students stated they had received an odd call earlier in the night from a male caller. According to the students, the male caller instructed and directed them to vacate the room due to a potential fire hazard. While on scene, BPD Operations alerted the officers that they were still receiving calls from the same male caller stating he was being threatened by his wife with a knife inside Room 302. Officers, now inside the room, informed BPD Operations that there was no such incident going on inside the location. Moments later, BPD Operations received another call from the same male caller stating that he and his wife were now on the roof of the hotel. The male caller further stated that his wife was threatening to jump off the roof.
At this time, the Boston Fire Department arrived on scene after having been dispatched for a call involving a jumper on the roof of the Holiday Inn. Officers, accompanied by hotel personnel, checked the roof and noted nothing out of the ordinary.
At this time, the male caller again contacted the BPD Operations Division and stated that the original call was all a hoax. According to the caller, allegedly a disc jockey at a radio station in Myrtle Beach (WZR), he was live on his on-line radio show attempting to be funny by making live prank phone calls to the Boston Police Department during his broadcast. The Boston Police Department is in the process of seeking criminal charges, including civil penalties, against the individual for his recklessly irresponsible behavior.
NOTE: The month of October has been designated the month of Domestic Violence Awareness.
To stop domestic violence, we all need to be part of the solution. Helping a friend who is being abused, speaking up about abuse, educating yourself and others, and supporting your local domestic violence program are all examples of things we can do to help.
The Family Justice Center (FJC) of Boston fosters collaboration in service to victims of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault. The FJC provides a safe and welcoming environment where individuals and families benefit from the availability of services offered by diverse nonprofit and governmental partner organizations. We are committed to complementing and enhancing the health of victim service organizations throughout Boston. We strive to coordinate violence intervention and prevention services that are culturally responsive and accessible to all victims.
If you or someone you know is worried or frightened about something in your relationship, please call the Family Justice Center of Boston at (617) 779-2100 or any of the numbers listed below.
SafeLink
Hotline: 1-877-785-2020
Linea Segura Contra La Violencia Domestica: 1-877-785-2020
SafeLink is the Massachusetts statewide domestic violence hotline and is operated by Casa Myrna Vazquez, Inc. www.casamyrna.org External Link in Boston. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24 hours a day in English, Spanish and TTY (1-877-521-2601). It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. An advocate can talk with you about your needs and help you identify shelters, programs and other resources. They can connect you to services for both domestic violence and sexual assault.
Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project
Hotline: 1-800-832-1901
www.gmdvp.org External Link
The Network/La Red
Ending Abuse in Lesbian, Bisexual Women’s and Transgender Communities
Hotline: 617-742-4911 TTY 617-227-4911
Linea de Crisis: 617-742-4911
www.thenetworklared.org External Link
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC)
Hotline: 1-617-492-RAPE
Hotline: 1-800-841-8371
www.barcc.org External Link