DORCHESTER, Mass. — A man was arrested after he allegedly tried to rob a woman before putting his hands around her neck and threatening to kill her in Dorchester on Sunday, according to Boston Police.
Officers responded to the area of the Franklin Park Golf Course around 4:45 p.m. after receiving 911 calls reporting shots fired. When they arrived, they arrested Wayne Straw, 38, of Dorchester, on charges of aggravated assault.
A witness – who police said is licensed to carry a firearm -- allegedly saw Straw threaten the woman and tried to stop what was happening.
The suspect then approached the witness and reached toward his waistband while continuing to make threats, police said. The witness then fired a single shot of their weapon away from anyone or any property, causing other people in the area to call 911.
Straw was arrested and appeared in West Roxbury District Court Monday. The witness voluntarily turned over his firearm and license to carry a firearm on the scene, police said. The incident is under investigation.
Loic Venon was playing his first round of golf ever.
“Guy rounds a corner, pointing a gun at another guy,” Venon said.
Witnesses said they heard the gunshot, but nobody was hit.
“Everyone is getting a little nervous. We are backing up. It seems to be under control but there is a guy pointing a gun,” Venon said.
Suffolk County ADA Alexander Jones told a judge that Straw attacked a woman who works at the golf course.
“He reached over the stand, grabbed her by the neck. ‘Give me your phone.’ Tried to rob her, hit her with a bottle,” Jones said.
The Good Samaritan who stepped in to help told Boston 25 News that he brought his legal firearm onto the golf course because, he said, the employee said the attacker was choking her. Venon and his friends said the Good Samaritan was trying to control the suspect at gunpoint.
“Just saying ‘don’t move, stay right where you are, don’t do anything crazy,’” Venon recalled.
The Good Samaritan said he fired a shot in the air after the suspect reached for a knife in his waistband. When police arrived they took both men into custody, but the Good Samaritan has not been charged. That Good Samaritan told us he has the legal firearm for his own safety.
Venon and his friends said they were able to get back to their game.
“We had to give Michael a drop because his ball was under a police cruiser, but other than that,” Venon said.
The suspect’s attorney told the judge that Straw may have been off his medications. Straw was put on a GPS and will be back in court next month.