Neighbors of a 22-year-old Dorchester man, who was critically injured late Thursday when he was shot by a Boston police officer, said they believed the cop's actions were justified if he was under attack, as police allege.
"If he did try to attack the cop," said Rocky Caban, 44, "(the cop) had a right to defend himself."
Edwin Guity remained in critical condition last night with a gunshot wound to the leg, police said.
At 11:15 p.m. Thursday, police received multiple calls about a man assaulting people in the area of 2 Howe Terrace, Police Commissioner William B. Evans said. The man allegedly attacked one person with a wooden stake and punched a vehicle and chased it down the street, Evans said.
When police arrived, they found Guity carrying a stake and ordered him to drop it, the commissioner said. Initially, Guity ran from police, but then turned and stabbed at one of them, penetrating the officer's coat, but not his bullet-proof vest, Evans said.
The officers retreated while ordering him "numerous" times to drop the stake, the commissioner said, but Guity allegedly raised it and lunged at them.
"The officer, having no other choice, discharged one round," Evans said, adding that he hoped to release the name of the officer, who has been on the force for 10 years without incident, "as soon as possible."
"For all we know," the commissioner said, "he's an outstanding officer."
Guity is known to police in connection with past "assaultive and emotionally disturbed behavior," Evans said.
"I really hope this doesn't cause a problem because it was a black man and a white cop," said Cynthia Stack, 49, who is white and has lived on Howe Street, a stone's throw from the shooting scene, for a year. "No one goes around waving a stick. The guy definitely has some issues, and I would hate to see the cop suffer for that. I think the officer was doing his job. He had every reason to use force."
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