Two Rhode Island thugs torched a Boston police car and got bail so low they celebrated in court

Massachusetts judges just sent a message to every criminal watching.

Attack police, destroy city property, coordinate multi-city mayhem — and you’ll walk free for less than a car payment.

And two Rhode Island thugs torched a Boston police car and got bail so low they celebrated in court with a fist bump that tells you everything about justice in blue states.

Police union president exposes coordinated assault that escalated through four cities

Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Larry Calderone didn’t mince words about what happened October 5 when over 100 people attacked officers in the South End.

"They knew what they were going to do and they were hell-bent on attacking police officers," Calderone told Fox News Digital.¹

Here’s what makes this different from typical street racing chaos.

The mob didn’t just show up in Boston — they worked their way through Middleborough, Fall River, and Randolph first, getting more aggressive at each stop.²

"What happened last weekend got out of control, it went through four different communities, ended up here at a couple of locations in Boston," Calderone explained.³

Each location saw worse violence than the last until officers in Boston’s South End faced a full-scale assault.

Shortly after 2 a.m., responding officers found themselves surrounded by a hostile crowd hurling fireworks, metal poles, and traffic cones at marked cruisers.⁴

One officer drove in circles while fireworks struck his vehicle from multiple directions.⁵

The crowd jumped on the hood while the cruiser filled with smoke and sparks from the firework barrage.⁶

A firework left on the hood ignited the interior, melting the windshield and completely destroying the vehicle.⁷

Officers had to draw weapons and deploy Tasers just to disperse the mob and escape.⁸

"It was like a riot," witness Simran Nalhatra said.⁹

The attack left one police cruiser totaled and officers shaken by the coordinated violence.

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1974882850664243457

Prosecutors reveal social media coordination designed to overwhelm police

Assistant District Attorney Lisa Deacutis laid out the bigger picture during a Monday arraignment for the duo.

Street takeovers have become a national trend fueled by social media platforms that glorify violence against law enforcement.¹⁰

"This phenomenon has been fueled by social media to glorify reckless and often violent behavior," Deacutis told the court.¹¹

Groups share locations through messaging apps and converge before police can respond effectively.

"These coordinated efforts are designed to overwhelm law enforcement presence and maximize online exposure through live streams and video postings," Deacutis explained.¹²

The level of organization shows this wasn’t spontaneous.

Participants wore bright yellow vests to direct traffic and control the crowd.¹³

Social media posts branded the rampage as "Return to Mass" — treating criminal violence like some kind of movement.¹⁴

Many participants traveled from out of state specifically to attack police and create chaos.

"Their lack of ties to the community contributes to a disregard for local residents, property, and spectators," Deacutis said about the outside agitators.¹⁵

Police arrested Julian Bowers, 18, from Cumberland, Rhode Island, and William Cantwell, 19, from Warwick, Rhode Island after foot chases.¹⁶

Bowers allegedly threw objects at officers and cruisers while Cantwell repeatedly struck a police vehicle with a pole.¹⁷

Both faced serious charges: assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and malicious destruction of property over $1,200.¹⁸

Prosecutors knew these out-of-state criminals posed a flight risk and danger to the community.

They asked for $15,000 bail for Bowers and $20,000 for Cantwell.¹⁹

The judge set bail at $500 for Bowers and $1,000 for Cantwell.²⁰

Both suspects fist-bumped each other in court after hearing the amounts — a gesture that speaks volumes about what criminals think of Massachusetts justice.²¹

They posted bail and walked out hours after attacking police and destroying city property.

Pattern reveals sophisticated criminal network exploiting weak prosecution

Fall River Deputy Police Chief saw the same group create dangerous conditions that blocked emergency vehicles.

About 200 people shut down streets, and at one point a private ambulance couldn’t reach patients because of the mob.²²

"It’s extremely dangerous not only to the motoring public but to the people that are driving like that," Deputy Chief Hoar warned.²³

Police tracked the group from Brockton to Fall River to Randolph before the Boston attack — a coordinated crime spree showing serious planning.²⁴

Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox acknowledged the troubling national pattern.

"It’s a trend, a culture trend. It’s getting out of control. It needs to be stopped and it’s very dangerous," Cox said.²⁵

Three days after the street takeover, Boston faced another violent mob.

A pro-Palestinian protest turned into a riot that sent four officers to the hospital with broken bones.²⁶

One protester punched an officer in the nose, breaking it and smashing his glasses.²⁷

Another fired pepper spray directly into officers’ faces.²⁸

Police arrested 13 people amid what they described as "riotous" conditions involving 200-300 protesters.²⁹

The Boston City Council passed a unanimous resolution condemning attacks on police.³⁰

Empty gestures when judges keep releasing violent criminals with meaningless bail amounts.

Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Calderone called out the understaffing crisis after the protest violence.

"We were outnumbered and understaffed for the event," Calderone said.³¹

Years of defunding police left officers without resources to handle coordinated attacks.

Massachusetts soft-on-crime approach creates magnet for out-of-state criminals

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden oversees Boston prosecutions.

His predecessor Rachael Rollins was forced to resign in 2023 amid ethics violations.³²

The office has developed a reputation for leniency that criminal networks clearly understand.

Look at what other states are doing about this problem.

California passed tough legislation in 2024 making it a felony to organize street takeovers through social media, with vehicle impoundment and serious prison time.³³

Massachusetts has no such protections.

State Representative Steven Xiarhos introduced bills to make assaulting police a felony and create stricter penalties for street takeover participants.³⁴

"When they get a slap on the wrist and walk out, that sends a bad, bad message," Xiarhos explained.³⁵

Democrats controlling the legislature have shown zero interest in passing these protections.

Governor Maura Healey held a press conference promising accountability.

"Anyone who engages in that conduct will be found and will be held accountable to the furthest extent of the law," Healey declared.³⁶

Those words ring hollow when judges undermine every prosecution with joke bail amounts.

Calderone issued a warning that Massachusetts officials refuse to hear.

"If you are coming from outside the city of Boston, you’re coming in to terrorize or assault police officers or create havoc. We don’t want you here," he said.³⁷

But criminals from Rhode Island and beyond see Massachusetts as easy pickings.

They know the worst that happens is a night in jail and bail cheaper than a weekend hotel stay.

The fist bump between those two Rhode Island criminals wasn’t disrespect.

It was acknowledgment of reality — Massachusetts has created a system where attacking police carries no real consequences.

Until judges start imposing serious bail on violent criminals, these coordinated attacks will continue escalating.

Criminal networks are paying attention to which cities will actually prosecute and which ones hand out get-out-of-jail-almost-free cards.

Boston just told every organized crime operation in the Northeast that attacking their police is worth the risk.

¹ "Boston street takeover participants ‘hell-bent’ on attacking police: union president," Fox News, October 14, 2025.

² Gayla Cawley, "Boston City Council condemns attacks on police after violent protest, street takeover," Boston Herald, October 8, 2025.

³ "Boston street takeover participants ‘hell-bent’ on attacking police: union president," Fox News, October 14, 2025.

⁴ Boston Police Department, "Two Arrested Following Vehicle Takeover Incident in the South End," October 5, 2025.

⁵ Camilo Fonseca, "What we know about the ‘street takeovers’ reported around Massachusetts," Boston Globe, October 8, 2025.

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Ibid.

⁹ "Two men released on bail after Boston street takeover, police cruiser torched," Fox News, October 8, 2025.

¹⁰ Camilo Fonseca, "What we know about the ‘street takeovers’ reported around Massachusetts," Boston Globe, October 8, 2025.

¹¹ Ibid.

¹² Ibid.

¹³ Shannon Larson, "Boston police commissioner says street takeovers are ‘out of control’," Boston Globe, October 8, 2025.

¹⁴ Ibid.

¹⁵ Camilo Fonseca, "What we know about the ‘street takeovers’ reported around Massachusetts," Boston Globe, October 8, 2025.

¹⁶ "Two men released on bail after Boston street takeover, police cruiser torched," Fox News, October 8, 2025.

¹⁷ Ibid.

¹⁸ Ibid.

¹⁹ Ibid.

²⁰ Ibid.

²¹ Ibid.

²² Temi-Tope Adeleye, "Fall River police say more arrests likely in street takeover," NBC 10 News, October 8, 2025.

²³ Ibid.

²⁴ Camilo Fonseca, "What we know about the ‘street takeovers’ reported around Massachusetts," Boston Globe, October 8, 2025.

²⁵ Shannon Larson, "Boston police commissioner says street takeovers are ‘out of control’," Boston Globe, October 8, 2025.

²⁶ Gayla Cawley, "13 arrested, four police officers injured in violent Boston Common protest," Boston Herald, October 7, 2025.

²⁷ Ibid.

²⁸ Ibid.

²⁹ Ibid.

³⁰ "Boston Officials Condemn Attacks on Police at Protest, Street Takeover," Officer, October 9, 2025.

³¹ Ibid.

³² Gayla Cawley, "Boston City Council condemns attacks on police after violent protest, street takeover," Boston Herald, October 8, 2025.

³³ "Street Takeovers Can Now Lead to Jail Sentences in Los Angeles County," California Insider, August 12, 2025.

³⁴ "Gov. Healey addresses rise in wild ‘street takeovers’ in Massachusetts," CBS Boston, October 8, 2025.

³⁵ Ibid.

³⁶ Ibid.

³⁷ Gayla Cawley, "Boston City Council condemns attacks on police after violent protest, street takeover," Boston Herald, October 8, 2025.