Man Pleads Innocent to Assaulting Alleged Thief

A local man who reportedly broke his neighbor's jaw after catching him stealing tools out of his pickup truck pleaded innocent to assault charges Thursday.

Anthony McKay, 29, of 37 Cherry St.,, pleaded innocent in Lynn District Court to a charge of aggravated assault and battery.

McKay is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 24 for a pretrial hearing.

At 2 a.m. on Oct. 15, police responded to Cherry Street after McKay's wife called police to report that McKay had "caught the lady next door's boyfriend taking items out of (his) truck."

Responding officers found McKay holding Christian P. Johnson, 30, of 162 Union St., Lynn. Johnson was later arrested on charges of carrying a dangerous weapon (police baton), possessing a class A substance (heroin), attempting to commit a crime, disorderly conduct and possessing a knife over 2.5 inches.

McKay told police that Johnson shoved him in the chest and came at him in a "bladed stance" and he struck him in the face to defend himself.

Johnson had suffered a broken jaw in the incident that would need to be repaired with emergency surgery, according to court documents.

Johnson was ordered held without bail Thursday because he was already out on bail for an arrest in April.

In April, Johnson was reportedly found passed out on a sidewalk in Lynn while in possession of a class C substance. He was also charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in that incident.