15-year-old arraigned Friday, held on $10,000 bail
A teenager from Framingham was arraigned Friday in Boston Juvenile Court for arson due to the role he played in the torching of a Boston Police Department cruiser on the night of May 31, after an evening of peaceful protests over police brutality and the murder of George Floyd.
Judge Peter Coyne granted the Commonwealth’s request for $10,000 bail on the charge of arson of a motor vehicle. An additional charge of inciting a riot will be heard at the next court date, scheduled for June 23, 2020.
If the youth’s family is able to make bail he will be required to have GPS and stay out of the City of Boston, among other conditions.
“At my direction, this office has taken every step to hold those accountable for their violent and destructive conduct on May 31st and the days that followed,’’ said DA Rollins. “Our investigation on behalf the citizens of Suffolk County, the peaceful protesters, and Officers of the Boston Police Department involved a bifurcated approach: coordinating charges and prosecutions for those arrested on the night in question where there was sufficient evidence to do so with the oversight of the First Assistant District Attorney and Chief of my District Courts, and developing the logistics and strategic plan for conducting a subsequent investigation into substantial additional criminal conduct of individuals that were not arrested that evening.
“The investigation leading to the arrest of the young male yesterday involved close coordination and collaboration with the Crime Strategies Bureau of my office, the Boston Police, the Boston Fire Department Fire Investigation Unit, the FBI, the ATF as well as the US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts,’’ said DA Rollins. “These partnerships on a local, state, and federal level are critical to this successful effort and led to today’s court appearance and prosecution. We will always work together to protect our community.”
“I will always act to hold individuals accountable for acts of violence, and that obviously includes acts of violence against members of law enforcement. The individuals accused of violence and looting must not overshadow the actions of tens of thousands of peaceful protesters who took to the streets of our city to show their hurt and outrage over the murder of George Floyd. I stand with those protesters in demanding justice and accountability for Mr. Floyd and the countless others who are horrified by that act of law enforcement officers.”
The investigation into the incident is continuing.