Police use pepper spray to disarm man they say was menacing people with a large serving fork

Boston Police report officers declined an agitated man's request that they shoot him yesterday, instead dousing him with pepper spray in a successful attempt to get the impromptu weapon away.

Police say officers responded to the Boston Transitional Clubhouse, 1960 Washington St. in Roxbury, around 1:45 p.m., on reports that the man was threatening people with the fork.

For the safety of officers and others in the building, officers ordered the male to drop the weapon and exit the premise. The male refused, stating he would not go with the officers alive. After several minutes of speaking calmly to the male, officers convinced him to move outside of the facility, yet the male continued to hold the weapon and yell for the officers to shoot him. Once outside, one officer was able to get close enough to the suspect to deploy his department issued pepper spray, while another officer was able to apprehend the suspect while he was temporarily distracted by the spray.

The man, a Dorchester resident, was then charged with assault and battery and assault with a dangerous weapon.