Arlington Police Arrest Man After Standoff In Mugar Woods

ARLINGTON, MA — A homeless man was arrested following an altercation in Mugar Woods that ended in a standoff involving a pellet gun, police said.

Michael Perry, 36, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.

At around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, a member of the Arlington Police Department's Homeless Outreach Task Force was in the woods with a social worker from the Somerville Homeless Coalition when an argument began between Perry and another man, police said.

Perry left the area on a bicycle when the officer intervened but later returned to demand that his gun be returned to him. A woman handed over his gun, which was believed to be a rifle, and Perry became aggressive and charged at the officer, police said.

The officer backed away, drew his gun and ordered Perry to drop his weapon, police said. The officer, identified as Joseph Caniff, was able to de-escalate the situation and get Perry to put down the weapon, which was later identified as a BB gun, police said.

"The actions of Officer Canniff, who has an already delicate assignment that includes providing outreach to some of our community’s most vulnerable residents, are consistent with the highest standards of law enforcement and public safety," Police Chief Juliann Flaherty said. "Faced with a split-second decision and a weapon pointed in his direction, with a suspect coming toward him in the woods, Officer Canniff remained calm and fell back on his training to de-escalate a volatile and potentially dangerous situation."

Perry was taken to the hospital for evaluation and held overnight. Officers searched Mugar Woods and seized two more black rifles, which were also identified as pellet guns.

Police said they have stepped up their efforts to provide services to the homeless population of Mugar Woods over the past 14 months, resulting in the "vast majority" of people living in the woods being placed into permanent or transitional housing.