Crime

Lowell postman allegedly attacked by minor with machete

The USPS letter carrier was out delivering mail during Tuesday's nor'easter when the juvenile male attacked him.

A USPS letter carrier was allegedly attacked by a minor with a machete while delivering mail in Lowell on Tuesday. Dustin Chambers/The Washington Post

By Susannah Sudborough

1 minute to read

Lowell police arrested a juvenile male Tuesday after he allegedly attacked a postman with a machete while the postman was out delivering mail.

Lowell police said in a news release Thursday that the victim, a USPS letter carrier, told them he was delivering mail on Porter Street Tuesday afternoon when he returned to his truck and found the suspect inside.

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The suspect allegedly pointed an airsoft gun at the postman, and when the postman tried to defend himself, the suspect allegedly slashed at him with a machete, the postman told police. The suspect then ran away from the truck.

Police said the postman called police, and they responded to Porter Street around 5:30 p.m. Police noticed wounds on his right hand and wrist, and he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

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After speaking with the postman, police said they canvassed the area and found the suspect close by. The suspect allegedly ran away from police, but they were ultimately able to arrest him.

The juvenile male was charged with two counts of juvenile assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of juvenile simple assault, and one count of juvenile breaking and entering into a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. Police did not release the name or age of the suspect.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is also investigating the attack.

“The safety and well-being of Postal Service employees is a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” Darnell Edwards, a Boston USPS inspector, said in the release. “…While we are grateful that the letter carrier in this case was not seriously hurt, there is no place for violence directed at these public servants, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring anyone who would attack these men and women to justice.”

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This attack is the latest in a string of crimes committed against USPS letter carriers. Earlier this month, a postman was robbed in Randolph. In December, two different letter carriers were robbed, one in Peabody and one in Melrose.

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