MBTA revenue agents, who collect money from subway ticket-vending machines, are armed in case anyone tries to rob them.
On Thursday afternoon, at the Chinatown station, a teenager assaulted an agent, not to steal money, but to grab her gun, officials said yesterday.
Police say Nelson Otuechere, 17, of Roslindale rushed up to Rosemarie Stella, a 21-year employee of the MBTA, and her supervisor, Ronald Dalton, and screamed that someone had just stolen his leather jacket.
Stella said they were not police officers and offered to call transit police. That is when Otuechere grabbed for her gun, apparently so he could use it to chase down those who had robbed him, officials said.
Stella, a 52-year-old mother of two, reacted as she was trained to do by transit police, said Deputy Chief John Martino. She turned to her side and stepped away from Otuechere. Dalton came between them, as Otuechere allegedly tried again to reach Stella.
Dalton, 49, said he and Stella yelled, "Back off! Leave us alone!" He added: "There was a little bit of profanity used. I can say that honestly."
Otuechere fled up the stairs toward Washington Street, where several transit police officers arrested him. He was held on $25,000 bail yesterday after being arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on charges of assault with intent to rob, attempt to commit a crime, and assault and battery on a public employee. Martino said police are investigating his allegations that he was robbed.
A man who identified himself as a friend said Otuechere had been robbed by a group of men who took a jacket he had just bought with money relatives and friends had given him.
"He was looking for help," said the friend, who declined to provide his name.
Stella said she was calm most of Thursday night, but yesterday morning, when her 32-year-old daughter asked her if she was OK, her emotions got the best of her.
"I started crying," she said. "It hits you."
Dalton said he showered a little more affection on his 7-year-old twin girls than usual.
"I gave them an extra hug this morning," he said.
Stella said she plans to return to work today.
"I walked away from it," she said. "That's what's important."
Neither Otuechere's lawyer nor his family could be reached for comment last night.
