A Boston Woman Watering Her Lawn Didn’t Say ‘Good Morning’ to a Passerby. So He Punched Her in the Face, Cops Say.
July 29 2023, Published 10:03 a.m. ET
A man in Boston has been arrested after he allegedly punched a woman repeatedly in the face because she didn’t say “good morning” to him as he walked by her, according to authorities.
Around 9 a.m. on July 13, Boston police responded to a call in the city’s Dorchester neighborhood regarding a woman saying she had been attacked by a stranger, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
The woman claimed she was watering her lawn when the suspect, 33-year-old Ian Atkinson, allegedly “walked by her and then cursed at her for not saying good morning to him,” officials said.
The victim took out her cell phone and started recording the man, who reportedly got into a black Mercedes nearby. He then got out of the vehicle and started punching the victim, authorities said.
Police obtained security footage, which reportedly showed Atkinson hitting the victim “at least seven times in the head.” The victim was “bleeding profusely from her nose,” officials said.
Atkinson then allegedly got back into his vehicle, reversed it and “swerved” toward the victim. She was able to get Atkinson’s license plate on camera and gave it to the police. She also noticed Atkinson wore a GPS tracking device.
Police were able to use the license plate number to locate Atkinson. They determined Atkinson was allegedly the same person in the video, and the victim picked him out of a photo lineup, according to authorities.
Atkinson was arrested and charged with assault and battery causing serious bodily injury and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, officials said.
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Authorities said the victim sustained a fractured nose and subconjunctival hemorrhage to her left eye. She reportedly bit Atkinson’s shoulder during the incident.
District Attorney Kevin Hayden said, "It’s difficult to comprehend the viciousness and randomness of such an attack, in this case on a stranger doing nothing more than watering her lawn. All over a perceived — and perhaps nonexistent — slight."
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