A local man facing an attempted murder charge for allegedly choking a 7-year-old boy on Saturday was ordered held on $7,500 bail during his arraignment in Leominster District Court.
Walter Scott, 40, of 145 Fourth St., is charged with attempted murder and assault and battery on a child.
Police responded to an area near 151 Fourth St. at about 8 p.m. Saturday for a report of an intoxicated man choking a child.
Police found 15 to 20 people outside yelling at two men, according to a report by Officer Daniel Proietti.
Witnesses told police that Scott had been running around threatening children on the street and had grabbed a 7-year-old boy by his sweatshirt, lifted him off the ground and choked him, according to Proietti's report.
Police found the child on the third floor of an apartment at 151 Fourth St.
"I looked at (the victim's) neck and noticed slight redness across his neck," Proietti wrote in his report. "As I was looking at (the victim's) neck he stated, 'I could not breathe.'"
Multiple witnesses told police they observed Scott lift the victim up by his neck and threaten to kill him, according to the police report.
The witnesses told police they believe the child would have been in serious danger had they not intervened, Proietti wrote in his report.
Police placed Scott, who was allegedly intoxicated, under arrest after speaking with the witnesses.
The other man who residents had surrounded when police arrived was also intoxicated and had been drinking with Scott, police said.
"I asked (the other man) why he didn't intervene," Proietti wrote. "(He) said 'I didn't know what the hell was going on.'"
The second man is not facing criminal charges.
Scott is due back in court on May 6 for a pretrial hearing.
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