By Jim Clark

While working a paid road detail last week, a Somerville police officer was flagged down by several of the workers and an unknown female at the corner of Cedar St. and Cedar Ave.

According to reports, it appeared to the officer that something serious was occurring as these people were flapping their arms in the air in a nervous manner.

As the officer ran around the corner onto Cedar Ave., he observed a man, later identified as Joseph Shahbazian, yelling at several of the construction workers, using obscene and hateful language, according to the officer, who asked Shahbazian to calm down so he could find out what had occurred.

Shahbazian reportedly looked at the officer and said, “I want you faggots off my property.” When asked to clarify what he had just stated, Shahbazian then said he wanted the workers to leave his property as he owned the home at the corner of Cedar St. and Cedar Ave.

The officer explained to Shahbazian that the workers were on a public way and were not on his property, to which he reportedly replied that the work around his home has been going on for years.

The officer explained to Shahbazian that the work was nearing an end and that the workers were just trying to fix the streets and sidewalks near his home.

Shahbazian reportedly yelled back that he could not get into his driveway and had to park his vehicle around the corner. The officer asked Shahbazian if he had asked the workers to move and he admitted that he had not.

The officer asked Shahbazian to calm down once again as he reportedly began swearing at one worker in particular.

This worker told the officer that he was on his lunch break when Shahbazian walked to the work truck and began kicking it multiple times. The worker asked Shahbazian to stop kicking the truck and asked what the problem was, as this incident seemed to come out of nowhere.

According to the worker, Shahbazian became outraged and yelled profanities at him.

The worker did not want any problems with Shahbazian, so he attempted to walk away. As the worker turned to go, Shahbazian reportedly kicked him in his lower back area, causing him to almost fall forward.

The worker reportedly turned around and became upset with Shahbazian, but resisted any thoughts of becoming physical with him, and that he was in a state of discomfort after being kicked.

The worker said he told Shahbazian, “All you had to do was ask us to move the truck and we would have.”

The officer asked Shahbazian to go into his home and to calm down as he was still yelling in the street. Shahbazian began walking up the side stairs to his home but stopped halfway up and began yelling again, using foul and hateful language, and saying that he did kick the worker.

The officer asked Shahbazian to calm down or he would place him under arrest, at which point he reportedly looked at the workers and the officer and yelled that he would kill them all, once again using hate speech and obscenities.

Shahbazian then quickly began walking up the remaining steps, but the officer asked him to stop. Due to Shahbazian’s manner, hateful words, and threats to kill, he was worried for the safety of the workers as well as his own. The potential that Shahbazian may attempt to arm himself inside of his home and attack someone became more prevalent as the officer could see his demeanor become increasingly angry.

The officer ran to Shahbazian and placed him under arrest. As he attempted to place Shahbazian in custody, he initially resisted the officer’s efforts and yelled that he should not be touched.

The officer was able to place Shahbazian into custody and radioed that he needed a mobile detention unit.

While waiting for the mobile detention unit, Shahbazian reportedly told an officer who had arrived as backup that he did not care because he has many friends in the Somerville Police Department.

Shahbazian was transported to Somerville Police Headquarters for booking on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and threat to commit a crime.