Latest news with #WoburnDistrictCourt
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘Suspicious device' reported on Marathon Monday was fireworks, posed no danger
A caller reporting a 'suspicious device' in Hopkinton drew police to the suburban community where the Boston Marathon starts, as the race wrapped up Monday afternoon, police said Wednesday. Runners and spectators had long since departed the start line in Hopkinton Center when local police received the call around 2 p.m., reporting the suspicious item on wooded private property more than a mile from the race course. Upon examination, police determined the device was a plastic bottle containing live and some detonated fireworks, Hopkinton police and fire officials said. There was no evidence that the item was intended to harm the public, Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennett said. 'Although it was reported the same day as the Boston Marathon, we found nothing to suggest it was related to the event,' he said. 'Thank you to the conscientious residents who reported finding this object in the woods. That was the right call to make.' The bottle was first spotted over the weekend, days before the marathon, but was not reported to police until Monday. Both local police and members of the Massachusetts State Police responded to the call. State Police bomb technicians examined the bottle, provided 'X-ray diagnostics' on its contents, and found it contained 'consumer grade fireworks,' which are illegal in Massachusetts but often brought across state lines, authorities said. Investigators are still determining the object's origins. 'Any unexploded firework or suspicious object found after a firework display should be considered live and dangerous,' Hopkinton Fire Chief Gary Daugherty said. 'Do not touch. Notify the fire department or police department immediately, by calling 911, for proper handling and disposal.' Both he and Bennett asked parents to ensure their children know fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts and dangerous. 'Every year in Massachusetts, illegal fireworks cause serious injuries and property damage,' Bennett said. 'If you know anything about this object, call.' Suspect shot 4 to 5 times at 'targeted individual' at Harvard Square station, police say Boston ramps up security for 129th marathon with barriers, checkpoints Authorities ID man arrested after pepper spray incident shut down Woburn court Woburn District Court evacuated after incident involving pepper spray
NBC News
16-04-2025
- NBC News
Video shows man in gas mask and tactical gear pepper-spray officers at Boston area courthouse
A man wearing a gas mask and tactical gear forced his way into a Boston-area courthouse on Monday and allegedly pepper-sprayed and physically assaulted several people before he was arrested. Security video shows a female court officer trying to stop the man from entering the Woburn District Court. The man, identified by the district attorney's office as Nicholas Akerberg, is seen storming inside and appearing to pepper-spray the officer. He then runs into the lobby where several officers subdue him, the video shows. Bystanders are seen in the video moving out of the way as the officers struggle to restrain Akerberg. The officers had to deploy a Taser before he was arrested, the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office said in a news release. Akerberg, 28, of Yarmouth Port, was dressed in a helmet, gas mask, tactical boots and sunglasses, the district attorney's office said. He had eight canisters of pepper spray and two smoke canisters in his possession, the release states. Akerberg allegedly "deployed pepper spray directed at multiple court officers, a Stoneham police officer and an assistant district attorney," according to the release. He is also accused of punching and shoving multiple people. "I want to condemn today's attack on the Court, the Court staff and the Justice system in the strongest possible terms. Courts are sacred, hallowed places," District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement. Akerberg was charged with six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, as well as charges of assault and battery on a public employee, assault and battery on a police officer, disrupting a court proceeding, disorderly conduct, bomb threat, and intimidation. Akerberg, a police officer and two court officers were taken to the hospital but were all released, the district attorney's office said. Akerberg was arraigned on Monday and was ordered held pending a dangerousness hearing. The judge also revoked his bail and ordered him to undergo a competency evaluation. It's not clear if he has obtained an attorney. The district attorney said Monday's assault is the third serious incident at a courthouse since March 10.
Boston Globe
15-04-2025
- Boston Globe
Video shows man in gas mask storming into Woburn courthouse, deploying pepper spray
Security video from outside Woburn District Court showed Akerberg walking up the front steps dressed in all black with a gas mask, black gloves, and a helmet about 10:30 a.m. Monday. Advertisement As a court officer opened the door to speak to him, Akerberg began running toward the door, pointed a spray can at her, and released a mist of pepper spray, according to the video. The court officer quickly closed the door but Akerberg pried it back open and shoved past the officer while continuing to spray her and rushed into the lobby toward the doors to the main chamber of the courthouse, according to the video and a police report. Advertisement Video from inside the lobby showed court visitors making their way through security and a metal detector before Akerberg came running in. The guard who met him at the door chased Akerberg through the metal detector, but he only made it a few more steps before another officer ran over and knocked him to the ground with an extended arm, according to the video. That officer and the guard wrestled Akerberg down onto a bench where two women had been sitting. Akerberg still had the can of spray in his hand and appeared to deploy more spray as two other officers jumped in to help, according to the video. More officers swarmed Akerberg as court visitors standing in the lobby and sitting on nearby benches cleared away. Some officers could be seen rubbing their eyes and using their arms to shield their faces. About a half dozen officers worked to pin down Akerberg and place him in custody. Prosecutors said Akerberg allegedly punched and shoved several people during the struggle. In a police report on the incident, a Woburn officer said they twice used a Taser on Akerberg before they could place him in handcuffs and leg shackles. Four court officers, a Stoneham court prosecutor, and an assistant district attorney were all sprayed during the incident, according to the police report. The courthouse was evacuated following the incident. Akerberg was ordered held without bail and was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a mental health evaluation, according to court records. He is due back in court May 2 for a detention hearing. Advertisement In addition to assault , Akerberg is also facing charges of disrupting a court proceeding, disorderly conduct, bomb threat and intimidation, the district attorney's office said. Court records show Akerberg has multiple pending cases against him. He was due in Woburn court on Monday for a hearing in a case stemming from April 2024, when Akerberg was accused of using pepper spray on a neighbor in his apartment building in Stoneham. In that case, he is facing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and violating a harassment prevention order, according to court records. In a police report filed in the 2024 case, a Stoneham officer wrote that Akerberg has been known to police since 2006 and has 'exhibited bizarre behavior for some time, with his state deteriorating mainly since 2016.' Court officers in Woburn were also familiar with Akerberg, whose address is now listed in Yarmouth, and knew of his struggles with mental health, police wrote in the report from Monday's incident. Akerberg's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. Nick Stoico can be reached at
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Shocking video shows moment masked man enters Woburn courthouse blasting pepper spray
Shocking video shows the moment a masked man entered a Woburn courthouse Monday, blasting pepper spray before finally being tackled to the ground. Video shows the alleged suspect, Nicholas Akerberg, 28, of Yarmouth Port, walking up the steps of Woburn District Court wearing a helmet, gas mask, tactical boots, and sunglasses. Akerberg then begins to blast the court officer at the door with pepper spray, forcing his way inside the building. After racing past the guard, Akerberg sprays the capsicum in the air near the security gate. Before he can get to the main doors of the courthouse, the masked man is tackled by a bystander who races across the other side of the room. Four court officers join in on the pile-on, dragging the struggling Ackerbag down to the floor. Akerberg was eventually subdued by a court officer who used a Taser, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said. According to authorities, Akerberg had eight canisters of pepper spray and two smoke canisters on him. Akerberg was arrested and transported to a hospital. He is charged with six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, five counts of assault and battery on a public employee, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, assault, disrupting a court proceeding, disorderly conduct, bomb threat and intimidation. Ackerbag was scheduled to appear in court for an incident out of Stoneham last year, according to authorities. Woburn District Court was briefly evacuated for the incident but reopened at 2 p.m. Akerberg was arraigned on Monday afternoon and held pending a dangerousness hearing. His bail was also revoked on open cases before Woburn District Court, though details of those cases were not immediately available. One Stoneham officer was transported to the hospital after being sprayed, officials said. Two other court officers were also transported for their injuries. All three had been treated and released as of Monday afternoon. Akerberg was also ordered to undergo a competency evaluation. He will be back in court on May 2. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man wearing gas mask in pepper spray attack at Mass. courthouse held without bail
A man accused of attacking several people with his fists and pepper spray at a courthouse in Woburn on Monday morning was charged and ordered held in law enforcement custody. Nicholas Akerberg, 28, of Yarmouth Port, faces nearly 20 criminal charges in connection with the reported incident at Woburn District Court, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office announced. Akerberg had shown up at the courthouse around 10:30 a.m. on Monday wearing a gas mask, helmet, tactical boots and sunglasses, the office said. The court officer and other people were unable to stop him from getting into the lobby. Once inside, Akerberg sprayed pepper spray at multiple court officers, a Stoneham police officer and an assistant district attorney, the office said. He punched and shoved several people, the office said, and fought against at least three officers before they were able to stop him with a Taser. Four people, including two court officers, the police officer and Akerberg, were brought to the hospital and released Monday afternoon. Eight canisters of pepper spray and two smoke cans were also later found in Akerberg's possession, the office said. 'I want to condemn today's attack on the Court, the Court staff and the Justice system in the strongest possible terms. Courts are sacred, hallowed places,' a statement from District Attorney Marian Ryan on the incident read. 'Today's assault was the third serious incident at a courthouse since March 10, 2025. These are not just acts of violence, they are challenges to the rule of law and to peaceful, orderly dispute resolution,' the statement read. 'The rule of law is not a fancy academic concept, it is the foundation of our democracy. Anyone who desecrates these sacred places will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Today is a critical reminder of the need to foster respect for our courts and our dedicated court staffs.' Akerberg was charged with six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, five counts of assault and battery on a public employee, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, assault, disrupting a court proceeding, disorderly conduct, bomb threat and intimidation. He was arraigned on Monday and ordered held pending a dangerousness hearing, and his bail was also revoked on open cases before Woburn District Court. Akerberg was also ordered to undergo a competency evaluation. Akerberg's next scheduled court date is May 2. Quincy man guilty of 1st degree murder, killing Dorchester man in 2019 shooting Weymouth man suspected of 'peeping Tom' incident outside apartment complex Charges dropped against men accused of fatal fight at Patriots game Mass. felon sentenced for causing explosion at home, owning over 30 firearms Bullet found in Haverhill High School bathroom, prompting stay-in-place order
