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Boston, Somerville Police Address Cross-border Dealing

Charlestown complaints lead to police action.

 

Boston and Somerville police collaborated recently to arrest two individuals they believe tried to use the city’s boundaries to make their arrest and prosecution more difficult.

According to a police report, Charlestown residents had complained to Boston Police since October of drug activity going on at the Somerville/Charlestown line.

On March 12, members of the Boston Police drug control unit set up surveillance of the Pearl Street address in Somerville they had been pointed to by an anonymous tipster.

As a result of their surveillance, officers observed what they believed to be a drug deal, and then detained the parties they believed to be involved with the deal.

As officers stopped one of parties, a detective noticed that the individual made swallowing motions like the suspect might be trying to swallow drugs held in the mouth.

Seeing this, the detective “held [the person’s] head back by the jaw bone and gave verbal commands for [him or her] to spit the drugs out,” a police report said.

The suspect spit out a plastic bag that contained what officers believed to be three smaller plastic bags of crack cocaine.

Officers found the other suspect carrying a glass jar that contained a plastic bag of marijuana, two cellular phones and $12.

After being pressed, the second suspect admitted to selling drugs. Officers then asked the suspect if they would find more drugs in the suspect’s apartment.

“Yup,” the second suspect responded.

As a result of the incident, officers arrested Susan Hassan of 8 Pearl Street in Medford, Justin McDonald of 38 Grant Street in Somerville and Gardy Ferdinand of 7 Pearl Street in Somerville on drug related charges.

Due to redactions in the police report supplied to Charlestown Patch, we cannot determine what charges were applied to what suspect.

Related Topics: Public Safety

Reggie

2:05 pm on Tuesday, March 20, 2012

I never thought I would suggest spell check for such an easy word as address !!!

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Matt M. Casey

2:18 pm on Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Reggie,
I invite you to try to produce as much content as Patch editors do at such a low error rate. I thank you for notifying me of the error (it has now been corrected), but not for your tone.
On a related note, someone, at some point, added "adress" to the passive web-based spell checker I use. So, it does not appear as a misspelled word despite being one.

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NeenTheBrand

2:24 pm on Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Maybe the Boston Police Department should focus on the Bunker Hill Shopping Center. I see the same drug dealer there everyday, with his little fanny pack on. It gets even better when the police officer is hanging out with him shooting the $hit. Come on! How much longer are we going to allow this? And the loitering, it's all such a shame. Clean it up.

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Matt M. Casey

2:33 pm on Tuesday, March 20, 2012

LooneyToonie,
Officers actually arrested two people at the mall last week. I'm not sure if either of them are the person you're referring to, though.
http://charlestown.patch.com/articles/police-log-officers-charge-three-with-assault

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NeenTheBrand

2:38 pm on Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Thank you for the update! That makes me feel a little bit better... but I think that particular area of town has a long way to go!

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glum

1:47 pm on Wednesday, March 21, 2012

this is great news! Nice work bpd and the residents of Charlestown!

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Speak up

12:43 pm on Saturday, March 24, 2012

Looneytoonie so why don't you let the cop on duty know that this guy is selling drugs. Have some balls or stop complaining if your not part of the solution you are part of the problem.

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Johnny Boy

10:02 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012

Justin McDonald is a SNITCH!!!! he has been arresting with like 3 dealers in the last year and he seems to never get in trouble

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