Boston, MA – Two men from Rhode Island were taken into custody early Sunday after a chaotic vehicle takeover at a South End intersection escalated into violence, leaving a police cruiser destroyed by fire, according to the Boston Police Department.
Officers responded around 2:12 a.m. to reports of a large gathering at Massachusetts Avenue and Tremont Street, where more than 100 people had blocked traffic with vehicles and debris. As police arrived, members of the crowd began hurling fireworks, poles, cones, and other objects at marked cruisers, striking one repeatedly and setting off fireworks that ignited flames inside. The cruiser was ultimately engulfed and towed from the scene after firefighters extinguished the blaze.
Additional units from across the city were called in to disperse the crowd. During the response, officers arrested Julian Bowers, 18, of Cumberland, and William Cantwell, 19, of Warwick. Bowers was charged with malicious destruction of property over $1,200, assault and battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest after allegedly throwing objects at officers. Cantwell faces the same charges, along with possession of a Class D substance, after police said he was seen striking a cruiser with an orange pole and carrying marijuana edibles.
Both suspects are expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court as detectives and fire investigators continue to review evidence from the scene.
A South End intersection turned into a war zone before order was finally restored.