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Taunton man charged with pulling knife on Boston officers

E-mail|Link|Comments () October 27, 2009 02:19 PM

By Michaela Stanelun, Globe Correspondent

A Taunton man is in custody today after he allegedly brandished a knife during a struggle with Boston police officers and refused to be arrested until he was shot with a non-lethal gun, police said.

A woman walked into the Roxbury police station at about 6:30 p.m. Monday and reported that her boyfriend had taken her car and refused to return it. The car and the suspect, Mark Tucker, 47, were found at the intersection of Clifford Street and Blue Hill Avenue, police said in a statement posted on their website.

When police pulled up to the car, Tucker ran away. Police chased him down Fairbury Street. When they reached him, Tucker began pushing several officers and attempting to punch them. Tucker then pulled out a knife and swung it towards the officers, the statement said.

"Officers stepped back, removed their firearms and ordered [Tucker] to drop the knife," the statement said. "The suspect immediately placed the knife to his own throat and stated, 'I'll do it... I'll do it.'"

Officers shot a non-lethal bean bag at Tucker in order to prevent him from hurting himself or officers, and then placed him into custody. He was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest and multiple counts of assault and battery on a police officer.