Brookline Police Charged Waltham Man with Possession of Burglarious Tools

Officers were patrolling the area of Thorndike and Winchester Street at 4:04 p.m. on December 13 when they spotted a man walking up Fuller Street who seemed to be looking into parked vehicles.

Officers observed the suspect walk up Centre Street, then turn on to Williams Street heading towards Harvard Street. The officer lost sight of the suspect for a moment, and then found him in the rear parking lot of 11-25 Williams Street. The officer exited his car and approached the man, identifying himself as a policeman and asked the suspect what he was doing there.

The suspect told the officer that he was “just walking around,” according to the police report. When the officer asked the suspect to remove his hands from his pockets, the suspect reportedly became argumentative, reportedly stating that the officer was only harassing him because he was black. While the officer told the suspect his reasons for questioning him, the suspect placed his hands back inside his pockets. The officer requested the suspect remove his hands from his pockets again.

The suspect stated that he had done nothing wrong, that he was walking around because he had nothing else to do. He also stated that he had a girlfriend in the area. When the officer asked where, the suspect said Mission Hill. The officer told the suspect that that was about two miles away.

The suspect then reached in to his pockets and tossed a silver object into the bushes. The officer drew his weapon and told the suspect freeze. Officers arrested Michael Owens, 24, of 91 Willow Street, Waltham was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of burglarious tools.