Police: Boston Officer Shot Man Who Stabbed Him

A 22-year-old Dorchester man is in critical condition after a Boston police officer shot him in the leg during an altercation Thursday night, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said Friday.

According to Evans, Edwin Guity was shot in the right leg by a 10-year veteran of the force after attempting to stab the officer in the abdomen with a wooden stake. Evans said the stake penetrated the officer's jacket, but was stopped by his ballistics vest from digging in further.

Evans said officers at the scene, located near Guity's residence on Howe Street, were responding to reports of Guity assaulting a person in the face and hitting a car with the wooden stake at around 11 p.m. When officers arrived, Evans said, Guity attempted to flee briefly before lunging at the officers and striking one of them with the stake.

That is when the officer who was hit, who was not named, fired a single shot that seriously injured the suspect, police say. Guity is being treated at Boston Medical Center.

"At this point the investigation shows the officer had no choice but to discharge his weapon to prevent this violent individual from assaulting additional police officers and civilians who were in the area," Evans said.

Evans said that before the officer discharged his weapon, the officers "gave numerous commands" for Guity to drop his weapon.