BOSTON, June 1, 2018—A Hyde Park man who allegedly pointed a firearm at two police officers who interrupted him as he fired on two other men was held pending a dangerousness hearing next week, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOHN MENTOR, 32, was arraigned in West Roxbury Municipal Court today on four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and a variety of firearms offenses. Judge James Stanton ordered him held pending a hearing next week under Chapter 276, Section 58A, of the Massachusetts General Laws. The statute allows a judge to hold a defendant accused of certain offenses without bail for up to 120 days pending trial upon “clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.”

“The conduct alleged here put five lives at risk, including the defendant’s own,” Conley said. “But for the officers’ rapid response, this could have been a double homicide, and we’re extremely fortunate neither they nor the intended victims were injured. It’s a prime example of the grave risk posed by illegal firearms in the hands of people least suited to carry them.”

Mentor, who is on probation following a nine-year prison sentence for pointing a loaded firearm at Boston Police officers in 2009, when he was on probation for a 2006 stabbing, allegedly fired on two men with whom he had an ongoing feud at about 7:30 last night. Two Boston Police officers heard the gunshots on Westminster Street and observed Mentor chasing the men while holding a firearm. They ordered him at gunpoint to drop his weapon. Mentor allegedly turned and pointed the firearm at them, at which point the officers discharged their service weapons. Mentor was struck in the leg, suffering an injury that was not life-threatening. He was transported to and later discharged from Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Suffolk prosecutors assigned to the DA’s Senior Trial Unit will review the facts and circumstances of the officers’ use of force – Conley’s practice for all non-fatal police shootings in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Fatal shootings are investigated by the DA’s Homicide Unit.

Assistant District Attorney Jess Megee of the DA’s Gang Unit told the court that Mentor gave a post-Miranda statement acknowledging that he possessed and discharged the firearm, a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver that was found with three empty shell casings and three live rounds in the cylinder. The victims gave separate accounts indicating that they had been walking on Westminster Street when a vehicle pulled alongside them, a male voice said, “that’s them,” and a man meeting Mentor’s description jumped out and fired upon them.

Mentor was represented by attorney Paul Marino. Mentor’s dangerousness hearing is scheduled for June 7 in West Roxbury.

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