SWAMPSCOTT — A judge ordered a Swampscott teen committed to a mental-health facility hours after police said the young man went to police headquarters, requested officers come outside and then asked what officers would do if he pulled out an object that appeared to be a handgun.
“I understand there are concerns about his competency (to be arraigned in public), and if he is incompetent to be arraigned, we will have to have him evaluated,” Lynn District Court Judge Ellen Flatley said Wednesday.
Fiorenzo Lecce, 19, of 317 Paradise Road, Swampscott, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct; assault with a handgun; possession of a knife and threats to commit a crime, according to a Swampscott Police Department statement Wednesday.
The courtroom went into recess while Flatley and attorneys visited Lecce in lockup. When court resumed, Flatley said the defendant would not be arraigned nor a dangerousness hearing held until after Lecce was evaluated at a state facility in Worcester.
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Boyd told the court that a man later identified as Lecce walked into Swampscott Police headquarters at approximately 5 a.m. Wednesday. Boyd said the man asked the officer on duty if he was alone and if officers would speak to him in the parking lot.
The officer noted Lecce was acting strangely and called for backup as he followed the teen outside onto Burrill Street, Boyd said.
The officer then saw what appeared to be a silver handgun tucked in Lecce’s belt and told him to drop the weapon, Boyd reported.
Boyd told the court that Lecce refused the officer’s commands and began tapping on the handgun and asked “what are you going to do if I take this out?”
Meanwhile, Boyd said a vehicle came down the street and one of the other officers who had arrived on the scene left his defensive position and ran to stop the vehicle.
This distracted Lecce, and another officer tackled, subdued and disarmed the struggling suspect, Boyd reported. Officers discovered the weapon was a toy, Boyd said.
“During this time the defendant did make several comments ”¦ generally regarding ‘Why did you not shoot me?’ and essentially, ‘Why did you not open fire?’” Boyd told the court.
He requested the state be allowed to argue bail after the suspect was found to be competent for arraignment, and requested that Lecce’s bail be revoked from an armed robbery case this August.
He also said the commonwealth would hold a dangerousness hearing at a later date.
Defense Attorney Amy Sixt did not argue the facts of the case but had said her client agreed to being sent to the hospital for evaluation.
Flatley ordered Lecce held without bail pending an evaluation and set a Feb. 5 court date where a judge would determine if Lecce is competent to be arraigned.
A man sitting in the courtroom and conferring with the defense attorney did not respond to questions outside the courtroom.
Swampscott Police Sgt. Tim Cassidy praised responding officers in a press release “for their bravery, and for showing extreme restraint in dealing with this incident.”
Cyrus Moulton can be reached at [email protected].
