Merrimack Play Star Charged With Choking Woman, Attempted Murder

Arlington Patch Editor John Waller contributed to this story.

A play at Merrimack College was interrupted Saturday as one of its lead stars, a Merrimack College student, was arrested for assault with attempt to murder.

"As we walked outside, the lead actor was in the back of a Merrimack College Police car," one witness, who attended the play, said. "We were very disappointed the play did not finish."

Saturday night at just before 8:30 p.m., Merrimack Police alerted North Andover Police that they were serving an arrest warrant for Matthew McCormick, 30, of 155 Madison Ave., Arlington.

The warrant was for one count of assault and one count of assault to murder.

According to Arlington Police, officers went to McCormick’s home at about 3 a.m. Saturday, and a woman said that McCormick had just choked her during an argument and then fled. The woman said McCormick choked her in the bedroom and then after she was able to fight free, pushed her to the ground and choked her again on a couch.

McCormick was also in a rage, she said, punching walls and doors.

Arlington Police immediately issued a warrant for McCormick's arrest, and he was tracked down to Merrimack College that evening, where he was starring in the play "True West."

"The play was in intermission and the director came out and said that she was sorry but had to cancel the rest of the play because there was an emergency involving one of the lead actors," one witness, who attended the play, said. "A few people stopped for refunds but most of us just walked out the front entrance to the theater. There were two Merrimack College Police cars there. In one of them, the actor was in the back seat."

After McCormick’s arrest in North Andover, he was returned to Arlington police.