Boston police fatally shoot suspect allegedly wielding sword near Northeastern University campus

Boston police fatally shot an armed man allegedly experiencing a mental health crisis Saturday after he attacked them with a sword in an apartment building near the Northeastern University campus.

Police Commissioner Michael Cox held an emergency afternoon press conference Saturday afternoon at the intersection of Huntington Avenue and Forsyth Way to address the situation.

At about 10:44 a.m., officers responded to Hemenway Street for a distress call. The 911 caller reportedly believed that there were four people with guns who were attempting to harm him, according to Cox.

Officers arrived on the scene and spoke with the man through the door of his apartment. They later requested the help of Boston Emergency Medical Services (EMS), who determined that he was having a mental health crisis, Cox said.

When the man opened his apartment door, he was armed with a sword, which he used to stab a Boston police officer in the arm and knock an EMS clinician to the ground, Cox told reporters. Multiple officers then fired both tasers and their weapons at the man.

Emergency responders immediately rendered aid to the caller, according to Cox. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment but died from his injuries.

Cox stated that “multiple” police officers were injured but did not specify the extent of their injuries beyond the officer who was stabbed. However, he confirmed that their injuries were non-life-threatening.

Two emergency responders, including the clinician, were injured and taken to the hospital, Boston EMS said on Facebook. Both suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

“Today serves as a reminder of the dangers inherent in this work and the sacrifice our members make every day,” Boston EMS said in a post. “Members of Boston EMS show up to save lives — not to be assaulted. No one should face violence for simply doing their job.”

Just before 12:30 p.m., Boston police alerted the public on X to avoid the area of Hemenway Street. While they responded to the situation, the areas of Fenway at Forsyth Way and Huntington Avenue at Forsyth Way up to Westland Avenue were closed.

Boston police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office are actively investigating the incident, according to Cox. The identities of the involved victim and officers have not yet been released.

Though the incident did not take place on Northeastern’s campus or involve any students, it marks the latest of several violent incidents that have taken place in the vicinity over the past two weeks. On March 27, a student was reportedly stabbed outside the Marino Recreation Center, according to The Huntington News, Northeastern’s student newspaper. He was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

On April 1, a man was stabbed near the intersection of Huntington Avenue and Gainsborough Street. That victim, who was not a student, was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. That evening, Boston police responded to reports of shots fired on Gainsborough Street, though no victims or injuries were confirmed.