Massachusetts DYS worker arrested: ‘Call my boss, the female governor’

A Stoughton man who spent time in state prison for motor car homicide is in more legal trouble after he allegedly assaulted police officers in Boston an altercation in which he urged officers to call his boss the female governor Joshua Cooper became increasingly agitated when officers with the Boston Police Department gained custody of him after they responded to a ShotSpotter activation in Dorchester early last Saturday morning Officers saw a large group congregated on Gleason Street when they arrived around a m A man later identified as Cooper is commented to have walked up to officers with his left hand inside his pocket and requested Do you want to see my badge according to an occurrence assessment Officers observed an empty holster on the right side of Cooper s pants and handcuffed him after a brief struggle the record states Tension flared when officers allegedly exposed a tan and green Smith Wesson handgun with a -round magazine with one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine in the driver s side of a Jeep Grand Cherokee Cooper explained officers he did not have a license to carry according to the development document Officers gained access to the van parked across the street from the ShotSpotter activation when a key fob fell out of Cooper s pocket When officers arrived with Cooper at the BPD s Roxbury office for booking the man allegedly refused to allow his hands to be placed in hand preservation bags designed to preserve evidence of gunshot residue the overview states Cooper continued to refuse to cooperate after crime lab technicians entered the booking area to swab his hands claiming that his wrists were injured from being placed in handcuffs but officers reportedly did not observe any visible marks on his hands or wrists Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation and gain Cooper s voluntary compliance to which he repeatedly refused the account states Throughout the duration of this encounter Cooper insisted that he handcuffs kids all day referring to his position as a DYS worker urged Officers to contact his boss the female Governor and claimed he was going to sue Officers while expressing satisfaction and snickering The state Department of Youth Services did not share information with the Herald on deadline regarding Cooper s employment with the agency but they did not deny he was a DYS worker Payroll records through the state Comptroller s Office show that Cooper works as a Youth Organization Group Worker I for DYS earning so far in as of July at an annual rate of Cooper earned in the position last year at an annual rate of records indicate The payroll is the first time he is listed as a DYS employee The BPD affair document further alleges Cooper became violent after he initially cooperated in placing his hands behind his back but instantly tensed up his arms upon observing handcuffs Cooper forcibly brought both of his hands towards the front of his body and wildly attempted to swing his fist towards an officer but he violently struggled knocking multiple Officers to the ground and nearly making contact with the civilian crime lab technicians who were barely able to exit the cell At least one officer suffered a cut to his right elbow after hitting the concrete ground the episode overview states Cooper continued to be violently combative as Officers struggled to place him in handcuffs the overview continues He proceeded to incoherently shout about a lawsuit while spitting on the ground towards Officers as they struggled to place him in handcuffs The chaos prompted an officer to allegedly strike Cooper with a closed fist in his head face area while Cooper continued to laugh and spit Cooper has been charged with possession of a large maximum firearm carrying a loaded firearm without a license carrying a firearm without a license possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest Judge Jonathan Tynes set bail at and ordered Cooper to stay away from the location of the offense during an arraignment at Dorchester Boston Municipal Court on Monday Cooper is due back in court on September for a probable cause hearing As if being charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition wasn t serious enough Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden mentioned in a declaration on Thursday this man apparently chose to multiply his offenses by resisting arrest and assaulting police officers His actions resulted in an officer being injured and more charges for himself The Suffolk DA s press release did not indicate that Cooper referred to his position with DYS during the violent confrontation The details came to light in the BPD event document which the Herald obtained Thursday evening Cooper served a four-year sentence in state prison that began in after the then -year-old Brockton man was involved in a motor bus homicide that killed -year-old Morris Webb Prosecutors in that matter disclosed Cooper swerved around a stopped motorcycle at a traffic light ran the light and struck Webb s SUV Webb was ejected and pronounced dead at the hospital while Cooper and a client in his van were injured Prosecutors noted Cooper s blood alcohol content was above the legal level to drive and he was barred from consuming alcohol as a condition of probation in a previous circumstance A job application for DYS Youth Facility Group Worker I role outlines that a criminal background check will be completed on the recommended candidate before they are hired The role entails employees working with juvenile justice-involved youth and young adults majority are - years old in a -hour-a-day -day-a-week locked residential facility The application adds that employees are expected to use physical interventions to maintain safety and defense following department policies if verbal de-escalation attempts are exhausted In this team-led atmosphere the application states you will ensure the safety and protection of the youth while offering the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and life skills needed to become responsible and independent adults