A Rhode Island man was convicted this week of dragging two Boston police officers by their arms after rolling up his car window on their limbs during a traffic stop and slamming the gas pedal down. Nathaniel Fenton, 36, was found guilty of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and drug possession charges stemming from the May 26, 2023 confrontation on Columbia Road in Dorchester.
According to MassLive, officers pulled Fenton over on Columbia Road, but he refused to get out of the car when they asked him to. As officers tried to unlock his door from inside through the window, Fenton allegedly rolled the window up, trapping two officers’ arms inside before putting the SUV in drive and accelerating, dragging both men several car-lengths before they managed to free themselves. He then drove abruptly over a raised median and nearly struck a third officer standing in front of the car, per the same report.
A Chase That Ended With Drugs Hidden in a Yard
Fenton did not stop there. His silver SUV went on to hit a nearby house before he fled on foot, according to MassLive’s reporting. Police arrested him on Blue Hill Avenue, where officers said he displayed heavy breathing, poor coordination, sweating, shaking, and avoidance of eye contact. He also had a burning cannabis cigarette on him at the time of his arrest, the outlet reported.
Investigators say Fenton hid a clear plastic bag containing 20 white oxycodone pills in a nearby yard before he was caught, a moment that homeowner security camera footage reportedly captured. A search of his car turned up 37 additional oxycodone pills, one unidentified blue pill, five ziplock bags of cannabis, 23 packs of THC edibles, and a large sum of money, according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office.
Superior Court Conviction and Sentencing
Fenton was tried in Suffolk Superior Court, which handles felony indictments carrying state prison terms that district and municipal courts cannot impose. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 15A, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon can carry up to 10 years in state prison when prosecuted there, according to Caselden Law. Massachusetts case law treats ordinary vehicles as dangerous weapons when they are operated in a way capable of causing serious harm, which is the legal theory that applied to Fenton’s SUV even though it is not a traditional weapon, per the Serpa Law Office…