Mass. Ave. murder suspect claims self-defense

A motorist charged with stabbing a man to death outside Boston Medical Center Sunday morning says he was only trying to defend himself when the man began punching him at a red light.

At Darryl Mitchell's arraignment this morning in Boston Municipal Court, however, a prosecutor said Mitchell at first drove away, but then made a U-turn and continued what turned into a fatal confrontation with Andrew Wyman, a man with roots in West Roxbury.

Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney Masai King said Wyman, 29, was walking down Mass. Ave. with a woman around 8:30 a.m. when she got into an argument with the driver of an older white car headed outbound. Wyman went up to the car at a red light and punched and kicked the vehicle.

Then, King said, the car drove up the block, made a U-turn and slowed near Wyman. King said a witness saw Wyman go back to the car and throw a punch through the driver's side window. Then, King said, the witness saw an arm holding a knife come out of the window and make a stabbing motion.

King said Wyman collapsed, stabbed in the chest, while the car took off at a high rate of speed. Even though he was right outside one of the country's foremost trauma centers, Wyman died during surgery shortly after 11 a.m. King said the car was recovered not long after the attack in front of 254 Mass. Ave.

King asked Judge Tracy-Lee Lyons to order Mitchell held without bail, because of past brushes with the law and the nature of the current offense.

Both defense attorney Edward Masferrer, however, said Mitchell, a Randolph resident, didn't start the altercation and that he was only trying to defend himself from somebody who was kicking his car and punching him. It was Wyman who was "the instigator and aggressor," he said.

Massferrer asked for $25,000 bail, arguing Mitchell is from the area - his mother, brother and several other family members and friends attended the hearing - and that he voluntarily turned himself in yesterday and was unlikely to flee.

Members of Wyman's family and friends did not attend the hearing because they were at his funeral service at St. Theresa Church in West Roxbury.

Lyons set bail at $250,000. Michell is next due in court for a hearing June 29.

Innocent, etc.