Man accused of shooting Boston police officer ordered held without bail

A man who allegedly shot a Boston officer in an attempt to evade capture as he fled from police on Monday night was ordered held without bail after he faced a judge on Tuesday morning.

The suspected shooter, 31-year-old Avery Lewis, of Dorchester, was arraigned in Dorchester District Court on a slew of charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawful possession of a large capacity feeding device, armed assault to murder, assault and battery with a firearm, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, assault and battery on a police officer, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, trafficking of cocaine, and resisting arrest.

The judge ordered Lewis held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing later this month.

Officers responded to a report of a domestic incident involving a person with a gun in the area of Esmond and Bradshaw streets in the city’s Dorchester neighborhood around 9:30 p.m. and encountered Lewis, according to Boston police.

When officers approached Lewis, he fired one round, hitting the officer in the chest, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox.

Prosecutors said that other officers recovered a firearm with a 14-round capacity and 60 grams of cocaine after Lewis was taken into custody.

Lewis is no stranger to the law. He was previously arrested in Webster on drug trafficking charges in 2017, according to police.

The officer, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, was taken to Boston Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. He has since been treated and released.

While the officer hasn’t been identified publicly, Cox said he has been with the department for about two years. Cox added that he’s deeply proud of the work officers do daily.

“This is another heroic act by our police officers doing a very, very difficult job. With all the firearms that we have out here, we’re doing all we can to remove them. But more important the officer shows tremendous restraint,” Cox said.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu added similar sentiments, saying, “Tonight is yet another reminder of all that our officers and their families put on the line to serve our city and I’m just very grateful to all the first responders who made sure that he was okay and could get medical treatment as quickly as possible.”

Cox also credited the officer’s vest as being a life-saving tool.

“We issue those vests for a reason. And, you know, I don’t want to speculate but for that vest. You know, I don’t know if we’ve been saying the same things,” Cox said.

Lewis is due back in court on March 29.

An investigation is ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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