Police: Man Threatened Couple at Knifepoint on Newbury Street

The following information was supplied by the Boston Police Department. Charges listed do not indicate convictions.

A man wanted his missing backpack back badly enough to pull a knife, according to police.

Boston Police responded to a report of a person with a knife near Arlington Street and Boylston Street at about 3:08 a.m. on July 29.

Dispatch told police that the suspect was fleeing from Newbury Street towards Boylston Street.

One officer went to find the victims while the other went after the suspect.

Officers found a man who matched the description of the suspect near 491 Boylston Street. Officers stopped and frisked the man, who told officers that he had a knife in his pocket. The man told police that he had an altercation with two people on Newbury Street because his girlfriend said that they took his black backpack.

The victims told police that they were walking on the 600 block of Boylston Street when a woman started shouting and blaming them for taking her boyfriend’s backpack. They ignored her and kept walking. When they reached Newbury Street and Clarendon Street, the suspect approached them with a knife.

The victim told police that the suspect demanded his backpack in a threatening manner. The suspect had his knife out and pointed it towards the victims, causing them to step back for their safety.

The woman then grabbed the female victim’s purse and tried to take it. A struggle ensued until the victim called the police. At this point, the suspects fled.

The officer brought the suspect over for the victims to identify him. The victims identified the man, but officers could not locate the woman.

Officers charged Kevin Hurley of 22 Hancock Court, Medford, MA with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and attempted armed robbery.