BOSTON, April 7, 2016—A repeat violent offender was held on high bail at his arraignment today for shooting a man during a dispute yesterday, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

SAQUAN GAUL (D.O.B. 7/25/92) of Hyde Park was arraigned this morning in Dorchester Municipal Court on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm, and possession of a Class B substance as a subsequent offense based on a 2015 conviction for possession of a class B substance.  Because he was previously convicted in 2014 for assault and two separate convictions in 2012 for assault and battery on a police officer, Gaul was additionally charged as a Level III armed career criminal.

Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Grasso of the DA’s Major Felony Bureau requested bail of $250,000 with orders that Gaul wear a GPS monitor, abide by a curfew, stay away and have no contact with the victim or witnesses, and stay away from the location of the shooting in the event he is to be released on bail.  Judge James Coffey set $200,000 bail and ordered Gaul to stay away and have no contact with the victim and witnesses and stay away from the location of the offense.

Boston Police responding to a call for shots fired at approximately 2:30 yesterday afternoon found a 51-year-old man suffering gunshot injuries to his hand and thigh sitting in a chair outside a T-Mobile store on Blue Hill Avenue.  The victim provided a description of his assailant and his direction of flight.

A witness approached police at the scene to report that the gunman had entered a store on Edge Water Drive, approximately 800 feet from the scene of the shooting.

Inside the store, officers observed a man fitting the suspect’s description, later identified as Gaul, sitting inside the store.  Witnesses inside the store reported that Gaul entered shortly before the arrival of police, prosecutors said.

Gaul was found to be in possession of a Taurus PT. 22 caliber handgun with what appeared to be a spent shell casing jammed in the barrel’s breach, prosecutors said.  He was also found to be carrying a plastic bag of crack cocaine.

A witness to the shooting positively identified Gaul in a photo array, prosecutors said.

Gaul allegedly made post-Miranda statements indicating that he had intervened in a dispute between the victim and a woman inside T-Mobile and that he and the victim then walked outside.  He made additional statements incriminating himself in the shooting, prosecutors said.

Gaul was represented by Michelle Troiano.  He returns to court May 5.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.