Everett man accused of impersonating Boston police and keeping medicine from asthmatic child

By Globe Staff

An Everett man is facing charges of extortion and impersonating a police officer after he allegedly prevented a Dorchester couple from providing medicine for a child having an asthma attack until they paid him cash “for his time and his gas,’’ Boston police said today.

John Perry Carrington, 44, was arrested by officers on Callender Street around 12:30 a.m., ending an incident that began when the woman and her boyfriend, who had gone to buy medicine for an asthmatic child, cut off Carrington’s car while driving on Harvard Street near Deering Road.

After the couple made a U-turn and cut him off, Carrington allegedly responded by blocking their vehicle with his car, flashing a badge and telling the couple he thought they were drunk.

Carrington also allegedly seized their cellphones and told the couple he would follow them home to Callender Street where he expected to be paid $100 in cash “to avoid a citation,’’ police said.

After following them to Callender Street, Carrington allegedly forced the couple to stay inside their car for 30 minutes even as they pleaded with him to let them enter their home to provide medication to a child suffering an asthma attack, police said. Carrington allegedly called Boston police District B2 during this time and pretended to be providing dispatchers with information on the couple, police said.

Carrington allegedly accepted a $20 cash payment and was still on the scene when officers, who received a call for an unknown situation, arrived. He allegedly told police he was trying to help the couple, but could not provide police with the couple’s names, police said.

He was arrested on charges of extortion, impersonating a police officer, armed robbery, larceny by false pretense, kidnapping and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, according to BPD.