Sledgehammer-Wielding Man Tased, Arrested At Salem Police Station

SALEM, MA -- A Rhode Island man who was denied a request for a woman's address by Salem Police returned to the station with a sledgehammer, which he swung against a glass partition while threatening to "do some harm." James Burge, 51, of Foster, RI, was being held on $10,000 bail after being charged with assault and battery on a police officer; assault with a dangerous weapon; resisting arrest; and disorderly conduct.

Lt. Matthew Desmond told the Salem News, which first reported this story, that the incident was like a "reverse response" with more than a dozen police cruisers being called back to the station. Officer Kristina Monk tried to use a taser on the man, who was eventually subdued by 15 to 20 police officers that came running from other parts of the police station.

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Salem Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

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