Boston Police were forced to draw their weapons and arrest a man armed with a knife - while working a detail for the Boston movie set of a Denzel Washington movie Thursday.
Fifty-two-year-old Victor Lee of Dorchester is accused of stealing a purse from a woman working behind the counter at this Shawmut Avenue laundromat near the set of "Equalizer 2".
Novik Astrvatsaturov, owner of Shawmut Place Laundry Services said, "She began to cry and we ask what happened and she said somebody took my wallet and run away."
As police pursued him, investigators say he not only refused to drop an eight inch double-edged, bayonet type knife, but also allegedly carjacked a woman parked on Union Park Street.
She was able to escape as police closed in.
"An officer approached the vehicle and gave verbal commands for the suspect to drop the knife, he then threw the knife out the passenger side window nearly striking that officer," said Assistant District Attorney Jessica Meyer.
Police pepper sprayed Lee and arrested him.
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Lee’s mother Marion defended her son outside court.
"I don’t think he was carjacking, he don’t steal cars, if he did he would have had one to get away if he was doing a crime," said Marion Lee.
She says she does feel badly if the victims were scared.
"Thankfully no one was hurt because in that area I heard it was by Denzel Washington’s movie,” she said.
It is the second time this month the movie set of the "Equalizer 2" has seen violent crime.
In the first incident, two security guards for the set were shot.
In this case, prosecutors say Lee admitted to some of what he’s accused of doing.
“He’s a crime-doer because he’s a drug addict you know,” said Lee's mother.
Lee is being held on $25,000 cash bail and is due back in court on November 19.
