Massachusetts State troopers were assaulted in Boston last week when more than a dozen people trying to intervene in the arrests of three people put the troopers in headlocks, and punched and kicked them, law enforcement officials said.
“These individuals physically impeded police from making arrests, used dangerous headlocks and other force that caused injuries,’’ a Massachusetts State Police spokesperson said in a statement Friday night. “Violence against police doing their job to protect our communities from illegal gun violence will not be tolerated.’’
Boston police officers helped quell the scene and arrested one juvenile and one adult. State Police arrested another juvenile. Authorities did not release the adult’s name.
One of those arrested was wanted for possession of a firearm, and another was armed with a knife, State Police said.
The chain of events began in Roxbury at about 3 p.m. Thursday, when troopers and officers patrolling together approached two “juvenile men’’ believed to be armed with guns, law enforcement said.
While police arrested a 17-year-old for illegal possession of a gun, the second juvenile fled and threw away a weapon, police said. Police searched but could not find him, according to the statement.
A short time later, Boston police dispatched a report of “shots fired.’’ The suspected shooter’s description matched the description of the juvenile who had fled earlier, the statement said.
In the area of the shooting, troopers saw three men enter a restaurant. The men left and went to a parked car to avoid law enforcement, according to authorities.
When the troopers removed the men from the vehicle, the men became combative and assaulted the troopers, the statement said.
“As Troopers attempted to arrest the men, more than a dozen individuals converged to restrain them on the ground, punch, and kick them to prevent further arrests,’’ according to the State Police statement.
The incident remains under investigation, State Police said.
Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her @talanez.