A man has been accused of robbing a furniture store in Dorchester and assaulting an employee during the incident, Boston police reported. Nirael Simmons-Davis, 29, is said to have entered BD’s Furniture on Monday morning, trying to leave with unpaid merchandise. According to a statement obtained by Boston 25 News, when an employee attempted to intervene, Simmons-Davis allegedly pointed a taser at the worker, causing patrons to run in fear to the back of the store.
Shortly thereafter, Simmons-Davis was alleged to have assaulted the employee before fleeing the scene on an electric scooter. In a pursuit to apprehend him, Boston officers managed to eventually knock him to the ground, despite Simmons-Davis grabbing at his waistband and “violently” resisting arrest. It was during this altercation that authorities are reported to have found a taser, loose cash, and a clear bag of what appeared to be crack cocaine in his possession. According to Boston 25 News, the charges brought against Simmons-Davis in Boston Municipal Court in Dorchester include armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, possession of a class B drug, and resisting arrest.
Simmons-Davis has seen the inside of a courtroom before, with a reported criminal history that includes time served for robbery and assault in 2016 and probation for a firearm charge in 2019. A statement from Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office released to The Boston Globe emphasized the harmful effects of such conduct, stating, “This intolerable conduct is harmful in multiple ways, to the immediate victims and to the larger community.”…