Two teens arrested, firearm recovered at Roxbury basketball tournament

A teen was reportedly carrying a black Ruger semi-automatic handgun with an obliterated serial number at a basketball tournament in Malcolm X Park in Roxbury on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Boston Police Department)

Two teens were arrested and an illegal firearm was recovered at a basketball tournament in Roxbury on Wednesday night, Boston Police reported Thursday.

Around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers with the Youth Violence Strike Force who were assigned to provide public safety for an outdoor basketball tournament were patrolling Malcolm X Park in Roxbury.

The cops became initially suspicious of two young young men, later identified as Anthony Diaz, 18, of Malden, and Braxten Baker, 18, of Brockton, who they say appeared to be “disinterested in the basketball game taking place and focusing on the Officers patrolling the park.”

The police watched the two throughout the game and began to spot “characteristics of a person carrying a firearm” in Diaz, the department said.

Diaz broke off before the basketball tournament was over and started running when the officers approached him, Boston Police said. He was quickly stopped by the police.

After a “brief struggle,” Boston Police said, a firearm was found in his shorts.

As the officers attempted to arrest Diaz, the second teen, Baker, jumped into the altercation, the department said. Baker tried to “push himself into where Officers were and was physically interfering with them” during the arrest, the officers reported.

Baker was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

The gun was reported to be a black Ruger semi-automatic handgun with an obliterated serial number and a “six ray” laser attachment, used to help target. The magazine inside had six live round of .22 caliber ammunition, and one round was in the chamber.