A 28-year-old man has been arrested by Boston police in the US after he entered a court premises wearing a gas mask and tactical gear and attacked several people, including court officers, with pepper spray on Monday, authorities said.
The man, who was identified by the police as Nicholas Akerberg from Yarmouth Port, wore a helmet, gas mask, tactical boots and sunglasses when he entered Woburn District Court on Monday, CCTV footage showed.
According to a statement from the Middlesex district attorney’s office, Akerberg attacked several court officers, a police officer and an assistant district attorney with pepper spray in the courthouse.
Shocking video shows the moment a masked man entered a Woburn courthouse Monday, blasting pepper spray before finally being tackled to the ground.https://t.co/GnZMdVJGhg pic.twitter.com/Y6dNI4BBZX
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) April 15, 2025
He also punched, shoved and assaulted multiple people present in the premises, before officers present at the court site subdued him, AP reported.
The district attorney’s office said that upon investigation it was revealed that Akerberg had eight canisters of pepper spray and two smoke canisters in his possession. He has been charged with six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, among other charges.
This image taken from security video provided by the Massachusetts Court System shows Nicholas Akerberg, of Yarmouth Port, being subdued by court security after he deployed pepper spray at the Woburn District Court, in a suburb of Boston. (Massachusetts Court System via AP)
After the altercation, Akerberg, the police officer and two court officers were taken to hospital for treatment and they were later released.
According to a CBS News report, Akerberg is currently undergoing a mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital. Police reportedly said that he had a court hearing on Monday which was scheduled earlier for a charge out of Stoneham.
His bail was revoked and he was ordered held at a Monday arraignment, AP reported, adding that he is poised to undergo a competency evaluation and his next date of hearing is May 2.
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