MILTON -- Crowds watched anxiously from backyards Wednesday as a SWAT team armed with automatic weapons and police dogs descended on a home on a quiet street in Milton to remove a man who was barricaded inside and threatening to kill police.
After hours in a standoff on Phyllis Lane, the man emerged from his home shirtless, and was led away in handcuffs by authorities.
A neighbor watching the scene unfold, Rachael Casini, said she knew the man and that he “just seemed like a happy go-lucky guy†who she occasionally spoke with. She was stunned to see him escorted out by SWAT members.
“Never in a million years,†said Casini, when questioned if she could have imagined the incident that took place only two doors away from her home. “He’s a very nice, very soft-spoken guy. I’m just shocked that this happened on the street.â€
Police received a call from a family member of the man around 1:30 p.m., who said he “started acting despondent†and was making references to weapons he owned, said Milton Police Chief Richard G. Wells Jr. After two police officers arrived at the residence, the 59-year-old suspect, who has not been identified by authorities, allegedly attempted to attack the officers, said Wells.
“He stated that he had a .45 [handgun] and that he was going to shoot,†said Wells. “He stated he would kill police.â€
After the man threatened officers, police and the family member left the home and tried to open up communications with the suspect, but were allegedly met with hostility, said Wells. SWAT teams were brought in, along with canine units and a robot, which was used to enter the home and locate the suspect, he said.
He was located in the cellar and he was arrested unarmed and without a fight, said Wells.
The man was led out of the home around 7:30 p.m.
A pocket of neighbors cheered on police and SWAT team members as the incident was resolved and authorities began to clear the scene. One onlooker, Jason Turner, 16, said he was relieved.
“I appreciated what these guys do,†he said of the police. “They’re keeping our neighborhood safe.â€
Wells said the man had recently returned home from a hospital. The suspect does not have a violent history and he was committed to a nearby psychiatric hospital for evaluation on Wednesday, said Wells.
“This could have had a much different outcome,†he said, sharing the relief of the neighborhood. “I am glad this had a positive ending.â€
Everyone has a dream town: a place they long to live, a place they live already, or even a place they have yet to find.
The Boston Globe sought to match its readers with their dream towns with its Dreamtown Finder. The online tool asks users their priorities and then matches them with their ideal Massachusetts community based on a wide array of data.
Everyone has a different set of criteria, of course, but the factors we chose for the tool include the following: schools (SAT scores), fun (movie theaters, restaurants), hipster (number of colleges, Starbucks, hybrid cars, for example), location (crime, public transit, grocery stores), and housing costs (assessed values).
Lawyers for alleged gangster James “Whitey” Bulger filed a series of photos taken at various points in Bulger’s life, asking the judge to allow them to be presented as evidence to jurors in the case.
Above, Bulger and dogs belonging to Catherine Greig.
Lawyers for alleged gangster James “Whitey” Bulger filed a series of photos taken at various points in Bulger’s life, asking the judge to allow them to be presented as evidence to jurors in the case.
Above, Bulger and dogs belonging to Catherine Greig.
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No information was provided with the individual photos but we’ve identified others that appear in them where possible. In many cases, a watermark identifying the material as part of the case has been superimposed.
Left: James “Whitey” Bulger.
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Bulger’s girlfriend Catherine Greig and her dogs.
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Photo of James “Whitey” Bulger.
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Photo of James “Whitey” Bulger.
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Left: James “Whitey” Bulger.
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James “Whitey” Bulger.
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James “Whitey” Bulger.
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A close up of James “Whitey” Bulger.
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James “Whitey” Bulger (right) with an unidentified woman.
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James “Whitey” Bulger.
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James “Whitey” Bulger (center) and brother William Bulger (left).
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James “Whitey” Bulger (left) and an unidentified priest.
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James “Whitey” Bulger (right) poses with former Bruin Chris Nilan and the 1986 Stanley Cup, won by Nilan and the Montreal Canadiens.
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James “Whitey Bulger (right).
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James “Whitey” Bulger (right) and Catherine Greig walk Greig’s dogs.
John Tlumacki / Globe Staff
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James “Whitey” Bulger (left) and Teresa Stanley.
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James “Whitey” Bulger and dogs belonging to Catherine Greig.
Did you spend your college years in a 10x10-foot, cement-block room, or did you live in a deluxe high-rise complex? Were you best friends with your freshman roommate, or did you avoid him/her as much as possible? Your residence experience most likely shaped your college experience. Share memories from that time below.
According to a report on USAToday.com, Major League Baseball is preparing to ban Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez from the sport for life.
The actions stem from an MLB investigation into Biogenesis, a Miami clinic that allegedly provided performance enhancing drugs to some 20 major league ballplayers.
The unnamed sources told USA Today that the announcement is expected to come on Thursday or Friday on Rodriguez and another eight players will be suspended.
Rodriguez's lawyer told ESPN today that the player would appeal any discipline from Major League Baseball.
"If MLB does indeed ban A-Rod for life," Globe writer Peter Abraham Tweeted, "there will be more dancing in the Yankees front office than a Broadway show.
New York owes Rodriguez $100 million through 2017.
The other players in the group are expected to accept suspensions of about 50 games each. Multiple media organizations have reported that MLB is seeking for Rodriguez to accept disciplinary action of a suspension from 150 games.
NBC Sports reported that unless Rodriguez settles with Major League Baseball, he will be banned for life under the collective bargaining agreement, which he cannot appeal.
Are you attending Boston Comic Con this weekend? Do you have a serious business day job during the week, and you plan to dress up at the event? Are you willing to be interviewed? If so, please fill out the form below and a producer from Boston.com will be in touch.
Crowds at Faneuil Hall Marketplace were more colorful than usual on Wednesday as fans donned costumes of their favorite characters from comic books, video games, TV series, movies, and web sites for the first-ever Boston Comic Con Costume Contest.
The contest and parade around Quincy Market served as a preview for the 7th annual convention for comic book and science fiction fans taking place Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 3 – 4, at the Seaport World Trade Center.
Crowds at Faneuil Hall Marketplace were more colorful than usual on Wednesday as fans donned costumes of their favorite characters from comic books, video games, TV series, movies, and web sites for the first-ever Boston Comic Con Costume Contest.
The contest and parade around Quincy Market served as a preview for the 7th annual convention for comic book and science fiction fans taking place Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 3 – 4, at the Seaport World Trade Center.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Costumed fans mingled with the usual mix of shoppers, tourists, and downtown workers outside Dick’s Last Resort, a co-host of the contest.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Wrentham resident Jarred Lorusso, 16, looked uncannily like Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor in the popular “Doctor Who” franchise.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Brandon Hoots, 15, said he was only partially in costume as the character Rintarou Okabe from the game “Steins;Gate.”
His friend Lucas Jandreau, 16, went all out to become Dave Strider from the web comic “Heinoustuck.” Jandreau won the second prize in the costume contest for his efforts. Both teens live in Dracut.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Jessie Farris, left, sister, Kendra of Medfield and others marched around Quincy Market during the Boston Comic Con Costume Contest.
Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff
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Finalists Mike Balestra, left, James Gamble, Mark Sylvia, Luras Jandreau and Aidan King appeared onstage at Dick's Last Resort in Quincy Market, where 20 people took part in the Boston Comic Con Costume Contest.
Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff
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Nick Kanieff, 49, the founder of Boston Comic-Con, watched as costume contest director Amy Fletcher struck a pose.
Kanieff, who lives in Framingham, said the most exciting thing about this year’s convention was the lineup of celebrity guests, including actors Kristin Bauer van Straten from “True Blood,” Laurie Holden from “The Walking Dead,” and “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” stars Aidan Turner and Dean O’Gorman.
Other guests include author Joe Hill and comic-book creators Steve Niles, Mike Mignola, and George Perez.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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The contest had more than one Doctor Who: 10-year-old Christian Fernandez of Salem also came dressed as the time-traveling humanoid alien.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Newton’s Melody McGlame, 18, came to Faneuil Hall dressed as Wanda Maximoff, Scarlet Witch of the Avengers. She took third place in the costume contest.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Malden resident Abigail Fisk, 17, and Shannon Wilson, 20, who lives in Somerville, swore they never met before Wednesday, but they became fast friends when both showed up dressed as a twisted Alice in Wonderland from the video game “American McGee’s Alice.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Woburn residents Steven Trimarchi, 19, and Ashley Strazzulla, 29, dressed as Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno of the manga series “Naruto.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Veronica Levy, 20, of Middleton, dressed as Terra, a former member of the Teen Titans.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Jesse Farris, 14, dressed as Asuna from the Japanese light novel series “Sword Art Online,” while big sister Kendra Farris, 17, dressed as protagonist Rin Okumura from the manga series “Blue Exorcist.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Pembroke residents Kayla Lithgow and Erin O’Leary, both 15, suited up to play Hannibal Lecter — the version played by Mads Mikkelsen in the current NBC TV series — and Rorschach from the comic book and film “The Watchmen.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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West End resident Anya Eacmen, 20, donned a green wig — she promised it wasn’t her real hair — to become Ramona Flowers from the Scott Pilgrim comic-book series and film.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Eighteen-year-old Brenda Lee of Quincy said she was dressed as a female version of the Jack Frost character from the “Rise of the Guardians” film.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Javier Perez Jr., 25, showed off his martial arts skills while dressed appropriately as Sub-Zero — “the original Sub-Zero,” the Hyde Park resident specified — from the game “Mortal Combat.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Amy Fletcher, director of the contest, compared notes on wearing black pleather in July with Wolverine lookalike James Gamble, 27, of Fitchburg. Gamble said he usually wears a full beard, but he shaves away portions to transform himself into the adamantium-skeletoned mutant.
Fletcher, 36, lives in Lowell and works at Harrison’s Comics in Manchester, N.H. She emphasized that she was not in costume; this is her everyday look.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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The costume parade took some Faneuil Hall visitors by surprise.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Javier Perez Jr., at right, marched alongside Dedham resident Mike Balestra, 18, who dressed as
Ezio Auditore da Firenze from the “Assassin’s Creed” video game series.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Mark Sylvia, 21, of Bridgewater, wore the elaborate body armor of Master Chief from the “Halo” book series and took first place in the contest.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
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Jessica Kaercher, 42, a visitor from Latham, N.Y., paused to watch the parade.
“I think it’s awesome,” Kaercher said. “I think it’s great for kids to love reading, and it’s exciting to see them passionate about something positive, artistic.
