'Shoot Me': Tense Charlestown Chase Sees Officer Face Loaded Gun

CHARLESTOWN, MA — A man with a history of firearms violations allegedly pointed a loaded gun at a Boston police officer and dared the officer to shoot him during a Monday evening chase in Charlestown.

Celestino Vicente, 37, of Dorchester, was arraigned Tuesday in Charlestown Municipal Court and held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing later this week. Vicente was charged with a host of firearm violations in addition to vehicle citations. He had been convicted of firearm and ammunition charges in Suffolk Superior Court in 1999.

Prosecutors said that officers were patrolling the Polk Street area Monday night after recent armed robberies near the Bunker Hill Housing Development. They observed Vicente reclining in an idling red Acura without a seatbelt or inspection sticker. Vicente was allegedly calm when speaking to the officers until they brought up the recent robberies.

Based on Vicente's behavior, which included what police thought was checking on a weapon near his waist, police ordered Vicente out of the car. Then the registered owner of the Acura approached and told Vicente to get out, prosecutors said.

Vicente allegedly tried to close the door and put the vehicle in drive. Officers attempted to pull him out of the vehicle, and during a violent struggle he allegedly reached near his waist.

Vicente escaped and fled into a courtyard, pulling out a gun. One of the officers pulled his own gun and ordered Vicente to drop the gun. "Shoot me," Vicente allegedly said in response.

The officer took cover behind a brick wall and saw Vicente abandon the gun into a playground as he fled. Responding officers arrested him on Walford Way.

Police searched the playground and recovered a loaded Ruger 9mm revolver previously reported stolen from Holbrook.

Vicente was charged with two counts each of assault and battery on a police officer and assault and battery with a firearm, and single counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of a firearm as a subsequent offense, unlawful possession of ammunition as a subsequent offense, carrying a loaded firearm, improper storage of a firearm. He also received citations for the seatbelt and inspection sticker.

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