Man wearing gas mask arrested after using pepper spray on court officers near Boston, police say

WOBURN, Mass. (AP) — Police in a Boston suburb have arrested a man who they say entered a courthouse while wearing a gas mask and tactical gear and attacked several people with pepper spray.

The man police identified as Nicholas Akerberg, 28, of Yarmouth Port, wore a helmet, gas mask, tactical boots and sunglasses when he entered Woburn District Court on Monday, security footage shows. Akerberg deployed pepper spray at multiple court officers, a police officer and an assistant district attorney, according to a statement from the Middlesex district attorney’s office.

Akerberg also punched, shoved and assaulted multiple people before several officers subdued him, the office said. Akerberg, the police officer and two court officers were transported to a hospital and later released.

The man was charged with six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and several other charges, the district attorney’s office said. An investigation later revealed Akerberg had eight canisters of pepper spray and two smoke canisters, the office said.

Police and the district attorney’s office didn’t respond to email messages seeking information about a lawyer for Akerberg.

Akerberg was ordered held at a Monday arraignment, and his bail was revoked. He is slated to undergo a competency evaluation and is due back in court May 2.