Home invasion suspect attacks Lynn court officer

LYNN – A wild scene played out at Lynn District Court Monday afternoon when a prisoner allegedly broke free and attacked a court officer before he was tackled and restrained.The suspect, Scott Arnold Wong, 31, of 314 Chatham St., #1, was in court for his scheduled arraignment on charges of home invasion, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, three counts of malicious destruction of property over $250, and violation of a city knife ordinance, when he tried to make a break from the courtroom, according to Steve O?Connell, spokesman for Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.Wong allegedly began wildly swinging his arms around and, in the process, hit a court officer in the face. Several officers struggled with Wong for a few minutes before he was restrained.At his arraignment, Wong was ordered held without bail until a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Aug. 23.According to court documents, Wong was allegedly involved in a string of robberies on Timson Street around 11:20 p.m. Saturday. When police responded to the scene, they were met by a group of people pointing toward a rear yard on Brookline Avenue, saying the suspect, Wong, had allegedly broken into a home and was hopping fences in an attempt to escape.A perimeter was set up in an attempt to catch Wong, while other officers spoke with the victims. One woman said she was at home, sleeping in bed with her three grandchildren, when she heard loud banging coming from the back door.After shouting for the suspects to go away, she said she heard them force their way into her apartment and then saw a black male and a white male standing inside, both wearing “nurses masks” and holding crow bars. After screaming at them, the victim said the suspects left her apartment.Another resident of Timson Street told police that her neighbor banged on her door saying someone was in her house and that they allegedly told her to get out of her house. When the husband of the resident went outside to investigate what was going on, he said that he saw two of his neighbors in the middle of the street, allegedly struggling with Wong.Court documents show that one of the neighbors allegedly heard a disturbance next door to their home, and allegedly saw Wong carrying a flat screen television and holding a crowbar. After he confronted Wong, the neighbor said Wong allegedly hurled the television at him and then hit him in the left leg with the crowbar.Police caught up with Wong as he was walking along the railroad tracks on Brookline Street and he was taken into custody after a brief struggle. A folding knife was found in Wong?s pants pocket.Later, while locked in a cell at the Lynn police station, Wong allegedly damaged a sprinkler, causing water to leak onto the floor.The second suspect involved was not located by police.