Body digicam footage launched to the Herald reveals Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was confronted by a denizen of Methadone Mile, who shouted that her cellphone was snatched as a result of she was attempting to take a photograph.
The footage, launched by the Boston Police Department following a public information request, captures the moments that instantly adopted the councilor’s mugging on Atkinson Street final Saturday night time — an encounter that occurred a day after the town’s new plan to deal with escalating violence within the troubled space was introduced.
It begins with Fernandes Anderson leaving a crowd of individuals and strolling as much as a cruiser with the officer sporting the physique digicam, knocking on his window, and alerting him in a pointy tone {that a} “guy in a red T-shirt stole my phone.”
When requested by the officer the place her cellphone was when this occurred, Fernandes Anderson ignores the query, and states, “I need my phone. I’m a city councilor. I was just taking pictures. I need my phone.”
“Unbelievable,” the officer might be heard saying, earlier than calling for backup and stepping out of his cruiser.
Fernandes Anderson then tells him, “The password is open. I need my phone,” and factors to a crowd of individuals the place the incident occurred, saying, “He’s right there.”
The councilor and officer then proceed to stroll as much as the group, the place Fernandes Anderson confronts a lady on the mile, saying, “He was with you,” presumably alluding to the person who stole her cellphone.
When the officer requested Fernandes Anderson who took her cellphone, she said once more that the person was a companion of the lady’s, saying, “He was with her.”
“Listen, you was going to be taking pictures,” the lady shot again.
Fernandes Anderson might be heard denying this, telling the lady, “I wasn’t taking pictures. I had my phone out.”
The councilor and the officer then walked additional into the realm often called Mass and Cass, the place tents have been pitched alongside Atkinson Street, trash was scattered in every single place, and a person questioned by officers defended the drug exercise that was occurring in full view of not less than half a dozen law enforcement officials.
Upon getting into the squalid scene, the officer presses Fernandes Anderson for extra info on the suspect, saying, “You’ve just got to tell me who has it.”
“He has my phone,” Fernandes Anderson responds. “He took it. He stole it from my hand.”
A couple of minutes after the primary officer was alerted, extra cops arrived on scene, considered one of whom requested the councilor, “What, did he he just snatch it from your hand.”
“He just snatched it from my hand,” Fernandes Anderson mentioned. “All I did was take it out so I could try to bring them food.”
To this, one of many officers tells her, “Now you know what you’re dealing with.”
As extra officers approached the scene, Fernandes Anderson mentioned the person who robbed her was hiding in one of many tents.
Police then take a extra heavy-handed strategy with individuals congregated within the Mass and Cass zone, telling them that their tents, which authorities and metropolis officers have mentioned are getting used to protect violence, drug and human trafficking, could be torn down if the councilor’s cellphone was not returned.
“She was here to help you guys and that’s the thanks she gets,” one officer tells the gang. “We’re going to start tearing down tents or her phone better show up. You guys better get it together and police yourselves.”
A person on the Mile might be heard attempting to attraction for a search to begin, yelling, “Yo, where’s the phone at?” Another man then requires whoever has it to throw it into the road.
The individuals then requested for an outline to assist with their search, and have been advised by Fernandes Anderson that the cell in query was an iPhone.
During this time, an officer might be heard filling in a colleague, stating, “One of the city councilors just had her phone stolen while she was taking pictures. Things might get a little heated over here.”
A lady provided her opinion on the matter, telling the police, “He probably went to go trade the (expletive) iPhone for some kind of drug.”
A person questioned by police defended the drug exercise occurring within the space, nonetheless, telling officers, “I promise you they will be responsible drug users, not low-life addicts.”
After about quarter-hour, together with an unsuccessful try to trace the stolen cellphone utilizing a division cellphone, an officer mentioned he was going to take a report, and might be heard questioning Fernandes Anderson concerning the theft.
The video cuts out after greater than 18 minutes with out a decision, however in accordance with the police report, a person returned the cellphone to Fernandes Anderson that night time.
Fernandes Anderson advised the Herald Thursday night time that she was not taking pictures the night time her cellphone was snatched, however had taken it out and advised the person she would take his image when he rushed towards her and began to behave in an aggressive method.
“I felt like, let me do a picture of this guy because he might do something wrong,” Fernandes Anderson mentioned. “And I did not. I wasn’t there like flashing or taking pictures. I don’t do social media shaming.”
She added, “I’m clinical, and I’m well aware of this population. I respect people’s privacy, and I know that they should be treated with dignity at their lowest. So I’m not that type of person.”
The councilor mentioned she was accustomed to the person who snatched her cellphone, saying that she visits the Mass and Cass zone typically, together with for charity work she’s performed there and in her previous capability as a psychological well being counselor.
She shouldn’t be urgent prices and mentioned the person apologized to her two days later when she bumped into him. Her preliminary response was considered one of fear that the incident left her with out a cellphone, and a strategy to contact anybody, Fernandes Anderson mentioned.
She additionally praised the police for his or her professionalism, saying that they remained affected person all through and dealt with the inhabitants there effectively — despite the fact that she requested them to not write a report.
Fernandes Anderson, this previous June as head of the council’s finances course of, pushed for a $31 million lower to the BPD finances that was finally vetoed by Mayor Michelle Wu.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”