Police Arrest Man for Stabbing Jogger

– Allison Goldsberry

Medford Police have arrested a Western Massachusetts man in connection with a St. Patrick’s Day stabbing.

Craig Bourque, 23, of Great Barrington, Mass., is alleged to have stabbed a man who was jogging near Salem Street at Park Street around 7:30PM on March 17. Bourque is being charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Police say four males in their early 20?s, three white and one possibly Hispanic, assaulted and stabbed a man who jogged by them last Thursday. A Medford police officer was just a few blocks away and was alerted by a witness that a man was being attacked in the area. She arrived on scene quickly and was followed by several other officers. Police set up a perimeter and conducted a K-9 search, which resulted in the collection of a “good amount of evidence and information” that provided police with some “solid leads.”

According to information released by Medford Police Lieutenant Paul Covino, police stopped Bourque and spoke to him the night of the attack but they didn’t have enough evidence to arrest him at the time. However, police gathered more evidence and were able to arrest Bourque on Saturday, March 19.

The victim was stabbed in the upper torso. Police administered first aid at the scene and he was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was operated on and admitted. According to Lt. Covino, the man is in good condition and is expected to be released from the hospital on Tuesday.

Police are calling the incident a “random act of violence” and say the suspects “were trolling for an opportunity to commit their crime.” They are still looking for the other three suspects believed to be involved in the attack.