What we know: Crowds attacked police in violent assaults across Mass.
People violently took aim at police officers over the weekend in at least four Massachusetts cities in events police are describing as "street takeovers" for racing.
Multiple incidents, which occurred the first weekend of October, included setting a cruiser on fire in Boston , firing fireworks at a police cruiser in Randolph , driving a Dodge Charger at an officer in Middleborough and blocking an ambulance from getting through in Fall River .
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said the takeover events are "dangerous, intolerable assaults on our police officers and our neighborhoods."
The "takeovers" have ended in property destruction, injuries and multiple arrests. But they're also not new and have been a nationwide problem since 2020.
Here's what we know.
What are street 'takeovers'?
Street takeovers involve dozens or hundreds of cars meeting up in one location to do donuts, race and drive recklessly, according to the Police Executive Research Forum , a law enforcement research and policy organization based in Washington, D.C.
Sometimes they are called "car meetups" or "sideshows."
The incidents increased in many cities when streets emptied out at the beginning of the pandemic, according to the research organization. However, it has since continued.
"Many of those involved may be bored young people looking for something to do, but these events have led to many injuries to participants, bystanders, and police officers, as well as some murders ," the organization wrote in 2024.
Police in Milwaukee warned that these incidents often include discharging fireworks at or from vehicles, swarming responding police officers, attacking other vehicles passing by and delaying first responders in other incidents.
"Unlike street races, where drivers compete for speed, street takeovers focus on showmanship. The goal is attention — especially on video," Prestige Law in California wrote in a blog post.
Historically, law enforcement has had difficulty containing these events because they "move fast and dissolve quickly," the law firm stated.
"Street takeovers may look thrilling on social media, but the reality is far more dangerous. These events are unregulated, unpredictable, and often lead to serious harm," the blog post stated.
Attempted car strike in Middleborough
The first reported street takeover of the weekend took place in Middleborough at about 11 p.m. on Saturday night, where about 50 vehicles and dozens of people got together in a commercial parking lot at Routes 105 and 28, according to Massachusetts State Police.
Several vehicles used stolen plates, and a Dodge Charger with Connecticut plates attempted to strike a police officer on scene, state police said.
Police later spotted the Dodge Charger on Interstate 495 and began to pursue the vehicle onto Interstate 195 west toward Rhode Island. Troopers ended the pursuit when it crossed state lines and assisting Rhode Island troopers lost sight of the vehicle during their response, police said.
Police cruiser on fire in Boston
A Boston police cruiser was lit on fire as a crowd of 100 people gathered on the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Tremont Street around 12:26 a.m. Sunday.
Police had arrived to break up the crowd but were met with cones, poles and other objects being thrown at their cruisers. At least one police cruiser was hit by fireworks from multiple angles.
The fireworks caused the cruiser, which had a police officer inside, to catch fire. Several people also started jumping on the hood and prevented the officer inside from getting away from the crowd or being able to see, according to a prosecutor in court on Monday.
The officer escaped their cruiser after it began to fill with "sparks and smoke," and other officers jumped in to help with tasers and "unholstered" guns, the prosecutor said.
Police saw an 18-year-old, later identified as Julian Bowers, throwing objects at the cruiser and arrested him after a foot chase. A 19-year-old, later identified as William Cantwell, was seen smashing an orange pole off the cruiser several times and then arrested, according to a police report filed in court.
Punched police cars in Randolph
Police in Randolph were also met with a rowdy crowd of more than 100 people who struck cruisers with fists and other objects before setting off fireworks at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning, officials said.
"This was carried out by individuals who were concealing their faces with masks and videotaping themselves," police said. "These individuals continued and sat on the hoods of the cruiser and lit fireworks off, placing the officer inside in extreme danger."
Blocked roads in Fall River
Police responded to multiple reports of reckless driving, street racing and blocked roadways around 12:26 a.m. Sunday in Fall River. Those incidents were part of a "coordinated and preplanned event intended to disrupt traffic and disturb the peace of the community," police wrote in a statement posted to Facebook .
"These gatherings intentionally block roads, endanger the public through negligent vehicle operation, and interfere with emergency services. Such actions are deliberate public disturbances and are not protected assemblies," Fall River police wrote.
The assembled crowd forced a private ambulance to re-route on Innovation Way when they refused to let it pass. Later, police responded to Davol and Central streets, where roughly 200 people had gathered, completely blocking the roadway.
At the intersection, several people in high-visibility vests acted as road guards while vehicles performed burnouts and donuts, and the crowd set off fireworks in the street, police said. Many of those in the crowd wore masks to conceal their faces and "showed complete disregard for police presence," the statement reads.
Police described the blockage of Davol Street as a "serious public safety hazard for Fall River and surrounding towns" because it provides direct access to St. Anne's Hospital and Charlton Memorial Hospital.
The group is believed to have gathered in Brockton before traveling as a "convoy" to Fall River. At the scene, police towed four vehicles and made five arrests. Police also sought a warrant for an additional suspect and are working to identify others through body-worn camera footage.
"This premeditated and unlawful event endangered the public, obstructed emergency response, and disrupted the community's peace," police wrote.
Who was arrested?
There are at least seven people facing charges after this weekend's incidents.
Five people were arrested in Fall River and each charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and conspiracy. They are: Jahir Gonzalez, 22, of New Bedford, Alexander Copsetta, 21, of North Easton, Alyssa Deyoung, 19, of Bridgewater, Mackenzie Benjamin, 19, of Kingston, and Aiden Meehen, 20, of Oxford.
Meehen faces an additional charge of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, police said.
Police also sought a warrant for Brennden Ortega, 19, of New Bedford, on similar charges, as well as resisting arrest.
Two teenagers from Rhode Island were arraigned in connection with the street takeover in Boston.
Bowers, 18, of Cumberland, Rhode Island, and Cantwell, 19, of Warwick, Rhode Island, are charged with malicious destruction of property over $1,200, disorderly conduct, assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest.
A judge set bail at $500 for Bowers, who posted bail, and $1,000 for Cantwell, who went to Suffolk County Jail in lieu of bail.
Other 'takeovers' in Massachusetts
This isn't the first time police officers in Massachusetts have dealt with these street "takeovers."
During the first weekend of September, police officers in Western Massachusetts were attempting to disband street takeovers in Chicopee, Holyoke and Springfield.
Several social media posts alerted police about possible takeovers over Labor Day weekend, according to WWLP .
Two takeovers with more than 50 vehicles in the Racing Mart parking lot on Main and Spring Streets in Holyoke were cleared during that weekend, Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan's Office told the TV station.
No one involved in these incidents was arrested.
There were also incidents in Chicopee and Springfield. Overall, several large crowds involving about 300 vehicles were cleared by police in an attempt to take over intersections, the news outlet reported. There were also several ShotSpotter notifications near troopers on patrol, the outlet reported. There were no reports of injuries or property damage.
In August, Newton police broke up a street race that featured more than 100 cars.
Officers were able to stop and cite some of the drivers, but many fled the area, police said in a statement posted to Facebook .
On March 11, a large and unruly crowd blocked Boston Police officers from reaching an intersection where drivers had apparently convened to perform "donuts" in their vehicles in a "street takeover" event well after midnight, authorities said.
The officers said dozens of people surrounded a police cruiser, preventing it from reaching the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Warren Street, where between 150 and 200 people were watching the street showcase.
Some people punched, kicked and shook the cruiser, police said in a report. Many wore masks to cover their faces and filmed the unfolding incident on smartphones or video cameras.
Due to the size of the crowd surrounding them, the officers said they stayed seated in their cruisers out of fear for their safety and to avoid escalating the situation.
"The disorderly crowd that gathered and surrounded the reporting officer's motor vehicle were actively punching and kicking the officer's department issued motor vehicle and proceeded to shake the motor vehicle in an attempt to overturn the motor vehicle," the police report read. The cruiser was undamaged.
A video of an incident matching the events described by police circulated on social media .
The group dispersed as other emergency vehicles neared the intersection. Police said they stopped two vehicles in the area but were unable to identify most of the numerous people who had gathered at the intersection or blocked the cruisers.
In April 2024, a large-scale takeover event on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston led to a 20-year-old man from West Boylston facing a slew of charges in connection with a drag race.
On the same night, police in Taunton, Brockton and Marlborough had similar calls about street takeovers, NBC Boston reported.
Street 'takeovers' a nationwide problem
Over the summer, there were at least nine high-profile street "takeovers" across the country.
These incidents were in North Carolina, California, Florida, Texas and Ohio, according to Fox News .
"Policing Matters" podcast host Jim Dudley spoke with Sergeant John Ampol of the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) on the issue in 2024.
They stated that the "bread and butter" of these takeovers is social media attention.
Since 2020, police departments, including in San Diego, have had to come up with tactics on how the handle these events. And it goes far beyond simply showing up to disburse the crowds.
"It includes impounding vehicles involved, addressing ancillary crimes like ghost guns, drug trafficking, and various forms of fraud, and leveraging social media for intelligence gathering," the podcast wrote on its website.
What are other states doing?
Some states are creating harsher penalties for those involved in street "takeovers."
After four people were killed and 13 injured in Birmingham, Alabama, a bill was filed for increasing penalties, the Alabama Reflector reported . Previously, drivers could only get a ticket. Now, they can be arrested, AL.com reported.
Police can also now arrest and charge spectators, according to AL.com .
Operation Knight Rider in various cities, including Birmingham, analyzes data to narrow down and target hotspots for resource deployment, AL.com reported.
In the one month since Operation Knight Rider began, there was 34 arrests, with three of the cases presented to the Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney's Office for federal prosecution.
In 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed four bills to help law enforcement crack down on this issue after there were "loopholes."
Drivers can now face up to a $5,000 fine and six months in jail. Organizers can face felony charges, which includes promoting a takeover on social media or messaging apps. And spectators can face a $1,000 fine.
And in June, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont increased penalties and fines against people who participate in, organize or spectate a street "takeover." The new law also provides police with more tools to "combat these reckless situations," the governor's office stated.
There is now a two-year license suspension for anyone with three or more violations. Local ordinances penalizing street takeovers can also be created to help local police departments respond to these issues. And ATVs, dirt bikes and mini-motorcycles seized from street takeovers can be destroyed by police.
Street "takeovers"
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