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Police: Brighton carjacking suspect attacks cop who refused his demand to shoot him
By adamg on Mon, 09/28/2015 - 2:04pm
A Winthrop man turned into his own crime spree last night, starting with a failed armed home invasion and ending with a violent struggle that sent both him and a police detective to the hospital, police and the Suffolk County District Attorney's office report.
Police report officers were first summoned to 66 Union St. around 8:20 p.m. on a report that a man had knocked on a door there, showed a gun and then fled.
A BPD detective standing a block away then saw a man matching the description of the suspect - William James Maturo, 45, of Winthrop - pointing a gun at two women:
The detective immediately unholstered his department-issued firearm, pointed it at the suspect, and gave orders to drop the weapon. The suspect initially refused, yelling for the detective to shoot him; however, after several additional commands the suspect placed the firearm on the ground and began to comply. As the detective approached the suspect to handcuff him, the suspect reached into the nearby vehicle, pulled out a knife, and rushed at the detective. The detective and suspect both landed on the ground, and a violent physical struggle ensued. Additional responding officers were eventually able to subdue and handcuff the suspect.
After speaking with the two victims, officers learned that the suspect had forced them out of their two vehicles at gunpoint before the detective arrived and intervened. From the scene, officers recovered a folding knife with a black handle used to attack the detective, a firearm holster, and a black pellet handgun that had been altered to look like an authentic firearm.
Both Maturo and the detective were admitted to St. Elizabeth's Hospital. The detective was released Monday afternoon; Maturo remains in the hospital and so was not arraigned on two counts of kidnapping, and one count each of armed assault with intent to murder, carjacking, assault by means of a dangerous weapon (gun), assault by means of a dangerous weapon (knife), assault and battery on a police officer, malicious destruction of property valued over $250 and resisting arrest. During booking, officers found drugs on him, so he was also charged with unlawful possession of a Class C substance (Lorazapam), unlawful possession of a Class B substance (Suboxone) and unlawful possession of a Class E substance (various pills).
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
Hopefully the feds put this
Hopefully the feds put this guy away for a long time because I have a bad feeling a MA judge would let this guy walk with a plea deal for testimony against his supplier.
Uh...
In what world do you live where the judge and not the prosecutor gets to offer plea deals?
Also confused as to where you see federal jurisdiction here.
Judge approves plea deals
Judge approves plea deals made by DA. Kidnapping is a federal offense along with drugs and firearms should the feds feel like prosecuting.
And?
Not sure why you feel like pinning it on the judge when it's the DA that makes the offer, except to get all worked up for no reason.
There is literally nothing here to interest the feds.
Please tell me you don't vote.
Wow - another guy who would have been dead in most places.
I won't go through my whole thing, because the regulars here know about it. Really though, in how many other places in the country would a guy who is holding a gun on two women, and who then rushes the responding cop with a knife, still be alive? I'm not sure it would take more than one hand to count.
I applaud the BPD detective - I cannot even imagine being in that situation. I hope that he is not seriously injured and gets some much-deserved time off. This definitely seems to have been a bit hairier than the usual weekend stupidity in that neck of the woods.
On a related issue, again, this heroin crisis (I presume that's why Maturo had suboxone) is totally out of control.
I mean
I get your point, and I agree with it, but "hey, you managed not to kill a guy!" feels a bit like damning with faint praise.
I think that is exactly where
I think that is exactly where we are at in America.
Wow
Can't say I would have reacted the same way if I was that detective. If you' come at me with a knife, I'm firing.
Hard to tell from the write-up
But having gained compliance and with the suspect on the ground, he may have holstered his weapon with the intent to have both hands free to be able to control and handcuff the suspect. The suspect, knowing his knife was close at hand, may have complied purely as a rope-a-dope in order to suck the cop closer and without his firearm in hand.
Once again
I guess it's a good thing you're not a police officer.
what's your point?
It's SOP in most departments to treat a deadly weapon with a matching level of force. Are you one of those "why couldn't they just shoot the weapon out of his hands?!" people?
Nope
I just like people not being dead. Call it a personal bias.
Well
my personal bias would be staying alive vs. keeping someone else alive if I were in that situation. Glad it worked out for the officer and he was able to avoid deadly force.
Right
And in a situation where some citizens are authorized to use lethal force against other citizens, not getting it wrong needs to be a higher priority than personal safety.
In other words, I'm glad you're not a cop.
Change of Venue
If this guy was smart, he'd get himself before the judge in Southie. He refuses to send anyone to jail who asks for a stint in rehab. B&E, robbery, drug dealing, violence-- if there are drugs involved, he asks the suspects if they want treatment, then dismisses the case at the next court appearance. Refuses to hold people accountable.