Photo: The weapon recovered by Boston Police allegedly in the possession of a Belmont teen who is currently under arrest.
An 18-year-old Belmont resident was arrested by Boston Police early Saturday morning, Feb. 21, on gun charges after allegedly threatening a group of young people on the street with a high-caliber handgun.
Kenneth Madden, 18, was attested by Boston Police officers assigned to the Youth Violence Strike Force on Dudley Street at around 2:27 a.m. after he allegedly threatened a group of young people with a gun. After witnessing a group of about 20 young people running from what appeared to be an altercation, officers were told a young man had pointed a weapon at them.
Officers saw Madden, who matched the description given by witnesses, allegedly place “something” inside a car while in the company of several individuals who “appeared to have been involved in an altercation given the fact that several appeared to be bruised and bleeding,” according the police incident report.
A search of the vehicle enabled officers to locate and seize a loaded firearm – identified later as a Sig Sauer SP2022 Semi-automatic – under the front driver’s seat.
Madden is charged with Unlawful Possession of Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, Possession of Firearm with Altered Serial Number, Possession of a Loaded Firearm and Possession of a High Capacity Feeding Device.
As of Sunday, the Suffolk County District Attorney has not said when Madden will appear in District Court.
Franklin, the police actually saw Madden place “something” in the car? Or were they told he did? If they did see him place something in the car, which is what you wrote, how did they see him reach down under the car seat and put it there? Was Madden assaulted at the scene? Was Madden the owner of the car? What is the penalty for these charges? Federal? On and on and on. Be thorough.
Dear Chris:
Thanks for the comments on the arrest of the Belmont teen in Boston on Saturday. As you discovered, the narrative from the Boston Police on the arrest appears, at times, incomplete or vague. The information used in this article comes from the police “incident report,” which gives a brief overview of what happened from the view point of the police. It is hardly a complete rendering of the facts in the case. But it does start the legal process. After his arrest, the case moves from the police to the district attorney. It is there that the formal charges will be presented before a judge who will rule whether Madden remains in custody and if he will be granted bail. That is why I mentioned Madden’s appearance in district court where many of the facts will be flushed out, i.e. what happened at the scene, is he the owner of the car, what are the official charges, how long he could face if convicted, whether he faces federal in addition to state gun charges. What we have in this, and all cases where an arrest occurs, is the opening to the popular series “Law and Order”: “In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.” The case is official out of the hands of the police and with the district attorney.