A 28-year-old man is dealing with a number of fees after he allegedly deployed pepper spray and assaulted individuals in Woburn District Court docket on Monday.
Nicholas Akerberg, of Yarmouth Port, reportedly entered the foyer of Woburn District Court docket carrying a helmet, fuel masks, tactical boots and sun shades at round 10:30 a.m. He allegedly had eight cannisters of pepper spray and two smoke cannisters.
A courtroom officer and others tried to forestall him from getting into the courthouse. However after he received inside, Akerberg is accused of deploying pepper spray at a number of courtroom officers, a Stoneham police officer and an assistant district legal professional.
He additionally allegedly punched, shoved and assaulted a number of individuals.
The police officer, courtroom officers and extra responding officers ultimately subdued him after they deployed a Taser, and he was positioned underneath arrest.
The courtroom shut down for just a few hours following the incident.
“I want to condemn today’s attack on the Court, the Court staff and the Justice system in the strongest possible terms,” Middlesex DA Marian Ryan stated in an announcement. “Courts are sacred, hallowed locations.
“Today’s assault was the third serious incident at a courthouse since March 10, 2025,” Ryan continued. “These are not just acts of violence, they are challenges to the rule of law and to peaceful, orderly dispute resolution. The rule of law is not a fancy academic concept, it is the foundation of our democracy. Anyone who desecrates these sacred places will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Today is a critical reminder of the need to foster respect for our courts and our dedicated court staffs.”
Akerberg was charged with six counts of assault and battery with a harmful weapon, 5 counts of assault and battery on a public worker, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, assault, disrupting a courtroom continuing, disorderly conduct, bomb risk and intimidation.
Akerberg, the police officer and two courtroom officers had been transported to an space hospital, and so they had been later launched.
At his arraignment, Akerberg was ordered held pending a dangerousness listening to, and his bail was additionally revoked on open circumstances earlier than Woburn District Court docket. He was ordered to bear a competency analysis.
The subsequent date on this case is Could 2.
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