Officers attempting to come to the aid of an officer who was being kicked in the face by a juvenile at a community center were denied access to the ongoing assault by a front desk worker who feared being reprimanded by her boss, according to the Boston Herald.
"Responding officers, forced to watch the altercation through the community center's glass doors, were unable to gain entry and provide support to the struggling officer because a front desk staffer refused to let them in," according to the Boston Police Department.
Officers had followed the teenage suspect and a friend into the Dewitt Community Center in the Roxbury section of Boston. They reportedly had a search warrant for the subject related to a gun investigation. The officers followed the juveniles into the community center and were shown to a second-floor classroom.
"As soon as the suspects exited the classroom, both attempted to flee the scene while pushing and physically assaulting the officers. While one of the suspects was subdued in the hallway, the other suspect bolted towards the stairwell leading to the first-floor exit," Boston police said.
Backup officers attempted to enter but were initially not allowed beyond the front desk.
Two officers were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Both juveniles, ages 15 and 16, were arrested.
