Criminal history of man accused of shooting a Boston cop includes recent dropped case, federal probe

BOSTON — The 31-year-old Dorchester man accused of shooting a Boston police officer during a domestic incident has a criminal history dating back over 14 years.

Avery Lewis was arraigned Tuesday in Dorchester District Court on a dozen charges related to Monday night’s violent encounter.

Investigators said it happened outside a home on Esmond Street where the suspect’s child was staying with his mother’s new boyfriend.

Police credit a bulletproof vest for saving the officer’s life.

“To see the officer smiling and talking to people. That just makes you feel great,” said Larry Calderone, President of the Boston Patrolmen’s Association. “It should never be accepted and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

Boston 25 News has learned that Lewis has been in and out of jail several times since 2009 when he was arrested for armed robbery.

Court records show he was charged with trafficking more than 200 grams of cocaine out of Quincy District Court last year.

He pleaded not guilty and was released on $10,000 bail.

Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey dropped the case in August and said it was “connected to a federal investigation”.

It’s unclear if Lewis is the focus of any current federal probes since the U.S. District Attorney’s Office doesn’t confirm or deny on-going investigations.

Court records reveal several additional cases at the state level, including drug charges in Webster and Dudley in 2017.

A Dudley police report alleges he hid crack cocaine in an infant’s chair in his apartment

According to court records, he pleaded guilty in Worcester Superior Court in 2019 to selling cocaine and completed probation for the conviction in June.

He had also been arrested for allegedly selling drugs near the Community Academy of Science and Health in Dorchester in 2017.

For reasons that remain unclear, court records show that case was later dismissed.

“It’s shocking,” said Jackie Branch, who identified herself as a friend of the suspect’s mother. “I usually see him holiday times, her birthday.”

Branch told Boston 25 News she was not aware of the extensive criminal history involving her friend’s son.

“She’s never said anything bad about him being irate, violent or anything like that,” she said.

Lewis is being held without bail following Tuesday’s arraignment.

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Avery Lewis is arraigned in Dorchester District Court on Tuesday March 19 in the shooting of a Boston Police officer

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