Staties busted a convicted felon as he trained a semiautomatic pistol on a man outside a Worcester strip club early today — inciting a rowdy “alcohol-fueled†crowd that yelled at police as they combed the scene, authorities said.
James Evans, 32, is due in Worcester District Court today on a list of gun and drug charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon and a firearm violation with a record of three prior violent crimes, state police said.
Troopers Yuri Bukhenik and Eric French were cruising down Southbridge Street around 2 a.m., when they saw what state police called a “disturbance†outside Hurricane Betty's. Suddenly, one man turned and ran as another man — identified by police as Evans — pulled out a semiautomatic pistol and took aim at him, state police said.
The troopers immediately pulled over, drew their weapons and shouted to Evans, who police said tossed the gun off to the side. As police searched the scene and found the weapon, other people starting pouring from the bar and troopers called for Worcester police to help control the “unruly†crowd, state police said.
“Alcohol-fueled crowds with police activity don't always turn out well,†said state police spokesman Trooper Todd Nolan.
Evans has prior convictions for armed home invasion, armed robbery and armed assault with intent to murder out of Worcester Superior Court, though Nolan declined to say from when and where those charges stem.
Nolan said it was unclear what prompted the situation or why Evans had pulled the gun, which police said had been stolen from another state.
Evans also faces charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a large capacity firearm without a license, possession of a Class B substance (cocaine) and disturbing the peace.
