My expectation is that if police transport a suspect anywhere, that is an arrest which must be justified by reasonable suspicion that the suspect had committed a crime.<p>Now, I don&#x27;t know how Boston classifies &quot;try to break into a woman&#x27;s house&quot;, but it looks like my web search in the General Laws of Massachusetts brings up part IV, Title I, Chapter 266, Section 18.[0]  Maybe IV I 265 18C [1] if there was someone inside the house.<p>Based on it being daytime, and the quoted statement from the cop including the words &quot;try to break into&quot; rather than &quot;inside&quot;, it would appear that no crime actually occurred.  So the cops circulated a vague description of an average-height, average-weight, typically-dressed Bostonian male as a suspect for a nonexistent crime.<p>The Internet Tough Guys aside, the author did make a mistake in answering police questions.  It should have gone something like this:<p><pre><code>  Cop: Hey my man.
  SL: Yes?
  Cop: Where are you coming from?
  SL: Am I free to go?
  Cop: No.
  SL: Am I under arrest?
  Cop: Not yet.
  SL: Why am I being detained?
  Cop: We had someone matching your description just try to break into a woman’s house.
  SL: [remains silent]
  Cop: You fit the description: Black male, knit hat, puffy coat.  Do you have identification?
  SL: My name is Steve Locke.  I live at XXXXX, in Dedham.
  Cop: No, no, no, do you have a photo ID card?
  SL: I do not consent to searches or seizures.  I will not answer further questions without the assistance of legal counsel.
</code></pre>
At this point, he gets arrested, not for breaking and entering, but for &quot;contempt of cop&quot;--probably even &quot;failure to identify&quot;.  He beats the rap, but does not beat the ride.  He later sues the city, and eventually accepts a $75000 settlement, which isn&#x27;t bad for enduring one <i>very</i> stressful day and some PTSD.<p>The bystanders made a mistake in not whipping out their cameras to film the incident.<p>But that ideal conversation does not happen when you are dropped into a stressful situation with no notice.  While you&#x27;re thinking about burritos, an armed man confronts you and informs you that you are a suspect in a crime.  Instead of thinking about how to resist police corruption, you&#x27;re thinking about not getting killed in the next ten minutes.  It doesn&#x27;t matter if you know, rationally, that you have the right to not get murdered by cops, if you also know in your fluttering intestines that Eric Garner and Freddy Grey theoretically had the same right.<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;malegislature.gov&#x2F;Laws&#x2F;GeneralLaws&#x2F;PartIV&#x2F;TitleI&#x2F;Chapter266&#x2F;Section18" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;malegislature.gov&#x2F;Laws&#x2F;GeneralLaws&#x2F;PartIV&#x2F;TitleI&#x2F;Cha...</a><p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;malegislature.gov&#x2F;Laws&#x2F;GeneralLaws&#x2F;PartIV&#x2F;TitleI&#x2F;Chapter265&#x2F;Section18C" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;malegislature.gov&#x2F;Laws&#x2F;GeneralLaws&#x2F;PartIV&#x2F;TitleI&#x2F;Cha...</a>