Raymond M. Boissonault keeps his eye on John Kavanaugh, the lawyer appointed to represent him at his bail hearing, during his arraignment of a variety of charges stemming from a shooting incident downtown on Friday evening. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
WESTFIELD – A Springfield man arrested by city police in connection with a downtown shooting has been arraigned on a variety of charges including assault with intent to murder and has been held in lieu of $100,000 cash bail.
The charges stem from an incident Friday evening in which two persons, a 31-year-old woman from Powder Mill Village on Union Street and a 33-year-old man from Springfield, reported they had been accosted by a robber on Birge Avenue who shot the man during his crime.
An investigation by city detectives found inconsistencies with the account provided by the victims who eventually conceded that they had been with their assailant willingly, for an unspecified purpose, and the victim was shot in the leg after an argument developed.
The suspect was identified as Raymond Michael Boissonault, 22, of 49 Lowell St., West Springfield, aka ‘Razor’, and the detectives searched for the man and found him Monday evening on Main Street, coming from “a known drug dealer’s house”, according to a document filed in district court.
Boissonault consented to a search of his home where, although no gun was found, a quantity of ammunition was discovered.
When he was taken into custody, he was found to be in possession of more than $300 in cash and more than an ounce of marijuana. When he was arrested, the charges included possession of a Class D drug with intent to distribute.
Boissonault was also charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder, two charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two charges of attempted murder, and assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as lesser charges of possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.
When Boissonault appeared before Judge Philip A. Contant for arraignment yesterday, the attempted murder charges were not included in the list of offenses and one of the assault and battery charges was included as a charge of assault.
Contant order that Boissonault be held in lieu of $100,000 cash bail without prejudice, with the agreement of both prosecution and defense attorneys.
Although all defendants have the option of seeking modification of bail terms in superior court, the “without prejudice” modifier means that Boissonault may petition for bail modification in district court.
Boissonault is scheduled to return to court for a hearing April 30 but at least two of the charges his is facing are not subject to final adjudication in district court so will have to be heard in superior court.
