BOSTON, April 13, 2016—The repeat drug dealer and gun offender who allegedly shot a Boston Police officer earlier this year likely stopped shooting only because his gun jammed, saving the officer’s life, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.
The Suffolk County Grand Jury on March 17 returned indictments charging GRANT HEADLEY (D.O.B 6/28/88) of Dorchester with armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery by discharging a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm, unlawful possession of a large-capacity weapon and feeding device, unlawful possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, distribution of a Class B substance, possession of a Class B Substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. In light of previous convictions, Headley was additionally indicted for unlawful distribution of a Class B substance as a second or subsequent offense, unlawful possession of a firearm as a third offense, and being a Level II armed career criminal.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Hallal, chief of the DA’s Senior Trial Unit, recommended $1.5 million cash bail. Assistant Clerk Magistrate Lisa Medeiros imposed bail of $750,000 on the indictments and ordered him held without bail pending a probation surrender hearing.
Hallal told the court that Headley fired multiple shots during a Jan. 8 incident on Mt. Ida Terrace, striking a 37-year-old Boston Police officer in the leg, before fleeing on foot. Along his path of flight, investigators recovered a .40 caliber Glock semiautomatic handgun with a shell casing “stovepiped” – or jammed – in the weapon’s ejection port, preventing it from firing.
“The evidence suggests that this malfunction interrupted the defendant’s assault and saved this officer’s life,” Conley said.
Boston Police Drug Control Unit officers observed Headley engage in a drug transaction on Jan. 5 with a person who admitted buying crack cocaine during that encounter. At the time of the sale, Headley was on probation following a five-year state prison sentence on a 2009 gun and drug conviction.
Headley left the scene and evaded arrest that day. Three days later, however, police observed Headley travelling in a black Toyota Acura and stopped his vehicle on Mt. Bowdoin Terrace. Officers in two unmarked cruisers stepped out of their vehicles to arrest him for the earlier drug sale.
Hallal said Headley pulled over, exited the Acura with a handgun, and approached one of the officers, a 37-year-old member of the Drug Control Unit, firing repeatedly and hitting the officer once in the leg.
The injured officer returned fire but did not hit Headley, who fled the scene on foot, pursued by another officer. With the assistance of a civilian witness, that officer spotted Headley in the driveway of a Geneva Avenue residence. The pursuing officer tackled Headley and took him into custody with the assistance of responding fellow officers.
The wounded officer was transported to Boston Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening.
Along Headley’s path of flight, investigators recovered a bag containing nine rocks of crack cocaine and a .40 caliber Glock semiautomatic handgun with a defaced serial number ballistically matched to four shell casings at the shooting scene. Seven live rounds were still loaded in the magazine.
Jennifer Sears was the DA’s assigned victim witness advocate. Headley was represented by attorney Kevin Reddington. He will return to court May 17th for a pretrial conference.
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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty
