A decorated Boston police officer was arraigned this morning for pointing a gun at a woman and her disabled husband last night in an alleged robbery attempt.
Fonseca pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon this morning in Roxbury District Court, where he hid behind a door that led to a glass partition. He was held on $5,000 bail set by Judge Pamela Dashiell.
Authorities said patrolman Sandro Fonseca, 30, was off-duty last night when the 9:51 p.m. incident occurred on Forest Street, and that the gun allegedly involved — a blue steel .380 Smith & Wesson “Bodyguard” with a sight laser — was not his service weapon.
Police said a woman told them three Hispanic males tried to rob her and her disabled husband, and that one of the men pointed a gun in her husband’s face before fleeing.
His lawyer, Kenneth Anderson, said in court that his client was heavily intoxicated last night, and when he met with him 12 hours after the incident, Fonseca still reeked of alcohol, Anderson said.
“He doesn’t really know these people,” Anderson said. “Alcohol was a factor in whatever precipitated this incident.”
Anderson said Fonseca is a “decorated officer” who served six years with the Marines and a tour of duty in Fallujah.
Fonseca received a commendation for saving his partner’s life in a shootout with a drug suspect in South Boston five months ago, according to Boston police spokeswoman Cheryl Fiandaca.
Fonseca, a five-year veteran of the force assigned to District C6 in Southie, was one of three officers taking part in a narcotics investigation at the Mary Ellen McCormack housing project on Old Colony Avenue July 16, who authorities said were fired upon by Paul Eric Louis-Jeune, 22, of Braintree, with a loaded .38-caliber revolver, according to court records.
Police reported Louis-Jeune got off at least one shot at Fonseca and officers Brendan Kelly and Steven Horne while attempting to outrun them on a steamy afternoon. When the six-shot handgun was recovered, police said there were still five live rounds in the chamber.
“The officers returned fire and were able to subdue the subject,” court records state. Louis-Jeune suffered life-threatening injuries.
Under conditions set today be the judge, Fonseca had to turn in his passport, cannot leave the state, cannot have contact with the alleged victims, is prohibited from weapons, is required to be evaluated for substance abuse and must heed any recommendations from the program, is required to take random urine tests and is required to be evaluated for stress by Boston police under conditions set by the judge.
Anderson told the judge he preferred his client immediately enter an alcohol-treatment program. He said after court that Fonseca would post bail.
Fonseca’s family members and his partner from this summer’s shooting were at court, Anderson said. They declined comment after the arraignment.
Fonseca will be placed on administrative leave, according to the Boston Police Department. His pretrial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 3.
Fonseca earned $103,000 in 2012, according to department records.
Joe Dwinell contributed to this report.