Scott D. Benton, Chief of Police
20 Essex St
Whitman, MA 02382
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-742-3922
Email: ben@jgpr.net
Whitman Police Arrest and Charge Man with Pulling Knife During Argument Inside Store
WHITMAN — Chief Scott D. Benton reports that the Whitman Police Department arrested and charged a man who pulled a knife on a store clerk during an argument Tuesday night, June 11.
JOSHUA WALSH, AGE 31, OF WHITMAN was charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. WALSH is expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Brockton District Court.
At approximately 9:10 p.m. Tuesday, Whitman Police responded to the area of 34 Temple St. for a report of a man with a knife.
Upon arrival, officers located a group of people who appeared to be yelling at one another. One of the people was later identified as WALSH.
Officers were able to deescalate the situation and began talking to the people involved in the outside argument. Through the subsequent investigation, it was determined that WALSH and another man had entered the nearby Family Dollar store, 611 Washington St., and began to argue with the store clerk.
The clerk demanded that the two men leave the store and WALSH allegedly turned to the clerk while holding a knife and walked toward him.
WALSH and the other man then left the store.
The victim called a relative of his, who came to the scene and confronted WALSH and the other man and an altercation ensued prior to the arrival of officers.
After speaking with witnesses, officers determined that it was WALSH who pulled the knife in the store and he was placed under arrest without further incident.
In a subsequent search of the area, a folding knife with a brown handle and a silver blade was located by officers under a vehicle in a parking lot in the area. The knife was seized as evidence, along with a black sweatshirt found next to the knife.
The victim was uninjured in the incident.
These are allegations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
###