On Saturday, May 14, 2011 around 6:32PM, officers from District E-18 (Hyde Park) responded to a radio call for a person with a knife/disturbance at 1045 River Street.
On arrival, officers spoke to numerous parties and learned that some kind of confrontation had taken place when a suspect approached an underage woman and attempted to talk to her about engaging in a dating/sexual relationship. The underage woman reported this to adult family members who then confronted the suspect about the incident. During this confrontation, witnesses and victim report that the suspect made several comments about the sexual orientation of the victim and shortly thereafter left the scene.

While speaking to the witnesses and victims, officers were directed to the suspect who was back on scene walking up the stairs to the third floor. Officers approached the suspect and attempted to have a conversation with him about what happened and he denied that anything happened. While speaking to the suspect, officers noticed that he was acting nervous and put his hands in his pocket as he slowly retreated. Officers observing this behavior asked the suspect to remove his hands from his pocket fearing that he may be armed. It should be pointed that officers observed a large bulge that appeared to have some weight to it as the suspect’s pocket was drooping. Officers asked the suspect for identification but he initially stated that he had none and then when he again put his hands in his pockets. Officers again asked the suspect to remove his hands from his pockets and this time, he stated that he was getting his identification.

Fearing that the suspect was armed at this point based on the bulge in his pockets, and his behavior, officers grabbed the suspect’s hands to remove them from his pockets at which point the suspect attempted to push officers away and make his way through a doorway. A violent struggle ensued during which the officers and the suspect feel down two flights of stairs. During this long and violent struggle, officers were able to remove from the suspect a loaded handgun and a large kitchen knife. During this struggle, officers requested the assistance of other units and finally with the help of additional units were able to place the suspect in handcuffs and secure the weapons that they had removed from him.

The suspect, James Esdale, 21 of Hyde Park was arrested and charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, Unlawful Possession of a Dangerous Weapon (large kitchen knife), two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (loaded handgun), two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (kitchen knife), two counts of Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, and Violation of Constitutional Rights/Hate Crime.
The suspect will be arraigned at West Roxbury District Court today, Monday, May 16, 2011.

On Saturday, May 14, 2011 around 6:32PM, officers from District E-18 (Hyde Park) responded to a radio call for a person with a knife/disturbance at 1045 River Street.
On arrival, officers spoke to numerous parties and learned that some kind of confrontation had taken place when a suspect approached an underage woman and attempted to talk to her about engaging in a dating/sexual relationship. The underage woman reported this to adult family members who then confronted the suspect about the incident. During this confrontation, witnesses and victim report that the suspect made several comments about the sexual orientation of the victim and shortly thereafter left the scene.

While speaking to the witnesses and victims, officers were directed to the suspect who was back on scene walking up the stairs to the third floor. Officers approached the suspect and attempted to have a conversation with him about what happened and he denied that anything happened. While speaking to the suspect, officers noticed that he was acting nervous and put his hands in his pocket as he slowly retreated. Officers observing this behavior asked the suspect to remove his hands from his pocket fearing that he may be armed. It should be pointed that officers observed a large bulge that appeared to have some weight to it as the suspect’s pocket was drooping. Officers asked the suspect for identification but he initially stated that he had none and then when he again put his hands in his pockets. Officers again asked the suspect to remove his hands from his pockets and this time, he stated that he was getting his identification.

Fearing that the suspect was armed at this point based on the bulge in his pockets, and his behavior, officers grabbed the suspect’s hands to remove them from his pockets at which point the suspect attempted to push officers away and make his way through a doorway. A violent struggle ensued during which the officers and the suspect feel down two flights of stairs. During this long and violent struggle, officers were able to remove from the suspect a loaded handgun and a large kitchen knife. During this struggle, officers requested the assistance of other units and finally with the help of additional units were able to place the suspect in handcuffs and secure the weapons that they had removed from him.

The suspect, James Esdale, 21 of Hyde Park was arrested and charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, Unlawful Possession of a Dangerous Weapon (large kitchen knife), two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (loaded handgun), two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (kitchen knife), two counts of Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, and Violation of Constitutional Rights/Hate Crime.
The suspect will be arraigned at West Roxbury District Court today, Monday, May 16, 2011.