Taken for a Ride: Detail Officer Survives Dangerous Encounter

A Winthrop patrol officer, working a traffic detail at the Dunkin Donuts on Main street last Saturday morning, November 26, found himself in a very dangerous situation when he tried to serve warrants on a man wanted by Boston and Revere police.

26-year old David James Mello, with no listed address, attempted to drive out of town across Belle Isle Bridge, after he was approached by officer Patrick Curran and realized that police were going to arrest him on two separate warrants out of East Boston and Chelsea District courts for drug, weapons and traffic charges.

“The suspect, Mello, tried to take the officer for  ride on Belle Isle Bridge,” explained Chief Terence Delehanty of the Saturday morning incident. “It was a very hairy situation, because he was wanted out of Boston on a firearms warrant, but fortunately the officer was alright and we were able to apprehend the suspect.”

According to Curran’s report on the incident, he noticed Mello while he was working a traffic detail on Main Street Saturday morning and knew from a previous attempt to serve the warrants, that Mello was wanted in East Boston and Revere. The officer successfully stopped the vehicle at the Mobil gas station on Main Street, called to the police station to confirm the warrants were active and asked for back-up, but when Mello spotted the arriving blue lights of the other Winthrop officers, he attempted a get away, with Curran hanging on to the side of the vehicle.

The van eventually crashed into a jersey barrier on the Belle Isle Bridge and three officers worked cooperatively to subdue Mello, who continued to resist arrest throughout the incident.

Mello was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (the car), assault and battery on a police officer (with the car), resisting arrest, operating a vehicle recklessly so as to endanger, failure to stop for police and the two warrant charges.

Mello, who is originally from Winthrop and known to local authorities, was hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation.