Two off-duty officers subdue ‘out-of-control’ man at West Roxbury Home Depot

Two off-duty officers managed to subdue an “out-of-control” man Sunday afternoon at a Home Depot in West Roxbury, Boston police said in a statement Tuesday.

Around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a Home Depot at 1213 VFW Parkway to help an off-duty Boston police officer with an agitated man.

The off-duty officer had entered the store and heard the sound of a disturbance, according to the statement. He saw a 55-year-old Roslindale man yelling and throwing items on the floor, police said.

A second off-duty officer from a different agency had identified himself to the distressed man and was talking to him, trying to deescalate the situation, according to police. Suddenly, the man allegedly punched this officer in the face.

Police said the Boston officer then also identified himself as an officer, to which the man replied, “[Expletive] you.” The man became more aggressive, attempting to hit other customers who had assembled around the disturbance, according to the statement.

The two officers were able to control the distraught man until back-up arrived to help. The man was secured and taken to a local hospital to be treated and evaluated, police said.

The off-duty Boston officer sustained minor injuries during the incident and was treated and released. No charges had been filed against the man as of Tuesday evening, according to the statement.