By Michele McPhee
Boston Herald Police Bureau Chief
Friday, October 20, 2006 -
A rookie Boston cop found himself in a fight for his life Wednesday as he wrestled with an armed and violent teen for control of a loaded gun and won.
Officer Chris Carr, who graduated from the BPD Police Academy last November, was on patrol near Tremont and Parker Streets in Mission Hill when he spotted a teenager clutching the right side of his waist with a closed fist, “consistent with that of a person carrying a concealed weapon,” he said.
“I pulled over and asked, ‘Can I talk to you for a minute?’ He never took his hand off his waist,” Carr said. “I asked him to show me his hands, and I patted him down and felt a metal object.”
It was then, Carr said, that the teenager punched him in the chest and began to reach for the loaded .32-caliber revolver tucked in his pants.
“In my mind I knew he had a gun,” said Carr, whose silver BPD shield was swathed in a black band in honor of a Manchester, N.H., cop shot dead by a former Roxbury man this week. BPD officers busted that suspect not far from the spot where Carr struggled with the teen.
In fact, Carr’s own family has a history of police tragedy. Carr’s great-grandfather, Patrick J. Carr, was killed in the line of duty in 1916. His own father is also a Boston cop.
“I believe he was reaching for his gun, and my hand holding it on his waist stopped him from pulling it out on me,” Carr said. “I was lucky.”
But the teen managed to wriggle free from his black hooded sweatshirt and bolted on foot. Carr was right behind him, and they tussled again on the yellow line at Tremont Street in front of the Tobin Community Center.
“I pulled my service revolver and repeatedly ordered him to stop,” Carr said. “I tackled him, and then I got a lot of help from responding officers.”
As the teen was cuffed, police recovered the revolver on the ground under his sweatshirt as the suspect blurted: “That’s not my gun.”
Joseph Morrison, 18, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer and illegal possession of a firearm. The bust was one of 575 BPD gun arrests from Jan. 1 to Oct. 15. During the first nine months of 2006, 93 Boston cops have been assaulted, including six who were shot at, according to BPD statistics. Another 50 were assaulted with weapons other than guns, 35 were beaten, and two were cut. During the same period last year, 84 cops were assaulted, two at gunpoint.
Rookie Boston police Officer Chris Carr disarmed a violent teen holding a concealed weapon. (Staff photo by Renee DeKona)
mmcphee@bostonherald.com.
Posted by: justanotherparatrooper
awesome work
Posted by: Andy0921
Great job brother!
Posted by: mdaz75
Great job!
Posted by: djgj200
as this story shows, don't underestimate a rookie. great job!!
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