BOSTON (WHDH) - A man with multiple arrest warrants was taken into custody after allegedly resisting arrest and pepper-spraying both a Boston police officer and Massachusetts State Police lieutenant near Mass. and Cass on Monday, according to authorities.
An MSP spokesperson said Joseph W. Russell, 27, was arrested after he was first spotted and recognized by a state police lieutenant on Southampton Street around 7:50 a.m.
“When the Lieutenant approached JOSEPH W. RUSSELL, 27, of Weymouth, the suspect fled on foot down Atkinson Street,” MSP spokesperson Dave Procopio said. “The MSP Lieutenant and a Boston Police Officer pursued him on foot. As the suspect ran, he tried to instigate an attack on the Trooper and Officer by people loitering on the street.”
Both the lieutenant and officer eventually caught up with Russell, who allegedly kicked and punched at the two during his arrest.
Procopio said during this time, the state police lieutenant suffered a minor injury and was taken to Boston Medical Center for evaluation.
Speaking with 7NEWS, a Boston PD official said the officer involved was also treated for minor injuries and that at one point, the suspect had allegedly pepper-sprayed both members of law enforcement.
According to state police, Russell was booked on two outstanding warrants that were both related to drug offenses, and two new counts of assault and battery on a police officer as well as resisting arrest.
The 27 year old was expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)