Police: Angry constituent asked for alderman, then pulled a gun on motorist

By George P. Hassett

A 36 year old Beacon Street man who allegedly stuck a gun in another man’s face over a traffic dispute Thursday night had just left City Hall where he tried to speak with his ward alderman about parking conditions on Beacon Street.

  Alexander Smolkin, 36, of 332 Beacon Street, was arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon, threatening to commit a crime and possession of a firearm silencer after police received a call from a man who said he had a gun placed in his face during an altercation with Smolkin over a traffic incident, Acting Police Chief Robert R. Bradley said.
  When police went to Smolkin‚Äôs home, family members there said he was on his way to City Hall for tonight‚Äôs Board of Alderman meeting, Bradley said. Police said Smolkin was wearing a yellow fleece jacket.
  Alderman-at-Large Denise Provost said she spoke with a man in a yellow jacket in the hallway outside the aldermanic chambers tonight about parking conditions on Beacon Street.
   ‚ÄúI spoke with two gentleman who had questions about the lack of traffic enforcement on Beacon Street,‚Äù Provost said. ‚ÄúThey were concerned about drivers violating the 2 hour parking limit on the street.‚Äù Provost then put in an order to the board directing the appropriate city authority to enforce the 2 hour parking limit on the street.
    ‚ÄúHe seemed satisfied,‚Äù she said of the man in the yellow jacket. 
     Ward 1 Alderman William Roche said he spoke to the man matching Smolkin’s description at the meeting and said that he had asked the man if he needed help. But the man, who police say was likely Smolkin, said he did not need Roche‚Äôs help and wanted to speak with Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston, Roche said. 332 Beacon street is in Heuston‚Äôs Ward 2 district. Heuston did not attend tonight‚Äôs meeting.
     Provost said the man in the yellow jacket she spoke with did not seem angry.
     ‚ÄúIt seemed like regular constituent services stuff,‚Äù she said.