Boston man held pending dangerousness hearing after attacking security guard at movie theater

BOSTON, March 28, 2023 – A Boston man is being held pending a dangerousness hearing after being charged with assaulting a security guard during a disturbance at an AMC Movie Theater in Dorchester, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced. Two of the man’s daughters were also arrested in the incident. 

FREDDIE BATES, 47, was charged yesterday in South Boston BMC with carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, assault and battery, affray, trespassing, and disorderly conduct.

Judge Pamela Dashiell ordered Bates held pending a March 30 dangerousness hearing.

Last Friday, at 8:25 p.m., Boston police responded to a call for the removal of a belligerent patron from the AMC Movie Theater located at 25 District Avenue, Dorchester. Theater staff told officers that Bates, in the theater with his four daughters, made female employees uncomfortable with various comments, including asking them out on dates. Theater security asked Bates to leave after he became aggressive and started screaming profanities at one of the guards.

With Boston police on scene, Bates ran up to one of the guards and punched him in the face. The two engaged in a physical altercation. During this altercation, two of Bates’s daughters punched the guard.  During the altercation, the guard’s firearm fell off his waistband and was later recovered outside in a balled-up jacket held by one of Bates’s daughters. Officers returned the firearm to the security guard after confirming he was properly licensed.

Upon searching Bates after his arrest, officers seized a Hopkins & Allen .22-caliber pistol loaded with five rounds.  One of the two daughters who had earlier punched the security guard became irate seeing her father in handcuffs and spit at the guard.

Both juveniles were arrested and arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court. One of the juveniles, 16, was charged with larceny of a firearm, assault and battery, possession of a firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without a license.  The other juvenile, 17, was charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct.

Bates has a 25-page criminal record, with convictions for violent and non-violent offenses including assault and battery, indecent assault and battery, larceny, illegal firearm possession and violating a probation order.

“It is disturbing that this individual’s behavior, with his daughters present, resulted in physical violence and multiple arrests. The presence of an illegal firearm makes the incident even more frightening. I applaud the security guards for the restraint they showed in their efforts to de-escalate the situation. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, and the licensed firearm was quickly recovered,” Hayden said.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications