This version corrects that one only count of Strangulation/Suffocation was charged, not two counts.
HOPKINTON — Deputy Police Chief Scott van Raalten reports that the Hopkinton Police Department has arrested a resident on charges that include attempted murder following a serious physical altercation involving the suspect and a 21-year-old man at Sandy Beach.
STEVEN DANA, AGE 70, of HOPKINTON, was arrested and charged with:
- Attempt to Murder
- Strangulation/SuffocationÂ
- Assault and Battery on a Disabled Person
At about 6:55 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, Hopkinton Police responded to report of a fight in progress at Sandy Beach, 1 Lakeshore Drive.
Officers quickly identified the parties involved in the altercation and began to conduct an initial investigation. In order to keep the parties separate, officers asked DANA, who is known to live in the same Hopkinton neighborhood, to return to his home and wait for police.
The investigation determined that DANA had gotten into a physical altercation with another individual, a 21-year-old male over the 21-year-old’s use of Lake Maspenock. The only boat ramp to the lake, which straddles Hopkinton and Milford, exists on Lakeshore Drive, and it is limited to use by Hopkinton residents only from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Hopkinton Police reviewed video footage, which showed DANA slapping the male across the face before the parties ended up in a struggle in the water, at which point DANA is shown forcefully holding the 21-year-old under the water. Other people nearby then pulled DANA off of the male.
Police were also made aware that the 21-year-old had been involved in an accident a few months prior that caused severe injuries, and that he was walking on crutches.
Hopkinton Police arrested DANA without incident at his residence. He was transported to the police station and held without bail pending arraignment later Thursday at Framingham District Court.
Both DANA and the 21-year-old male declined to be transported to an area hospital for medical treatment.
Police believe that DANA approached the victim because the victim was not a Hopkinton resident and accosted him about use of the lake, which escalated to violence.
“This is an incident of senseless violence that could have had tragic results, and we treat matters like this with the utmost seriousness,” said Deputy Chief van Raalten. “The Hopkinton Police Department asks that residents contact the proper authorities to investigate incidents that involve the enforcement of the town’s bylaws rather than taking matters into their own hands.
“I want to praise our responding and investigating officers, including Sergeant Cody Normandin, Officer Sean McKeon and Officer Noah Buentello for their diligent and professional response on Wednesday evening, as well as our communication department, which fielded the calls from witnesses and relayed accurate and descriptive information to the responding officers.
“Our goal during an investigation is to obtain the clearest picture of the incident so that we can understand the circumstances, which is often difficult given the heightened emotions of the parties involved. Our responding officers did an outstanding job remaining professional while navigating this investigation. There is no place for unnecessary violence in Hopkinton.”
These are allegations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.