Wait a minute..you defend your property,catch the thief red handed, but because you get the best of the CRIMINAL, you get charged..WOW. Good Luck Anthony.

Anthony, I applaud your courage for protecting your home and personal belongings. Know how rapidly the Pollice respond but apparently this had to be taken care of very fast. Choosing between your life or a criminal there really is no choice, your only weapons were your hands he had a knife, a baton and his hands. Best of Luck Anthony

I agree with Gorge and Joan...... Anthony should not be charged with a crime because he was protecting his property and this thug came at him with a knife. I hope the charges against him are dropped. Good luck Anthony.

I was incredulous after reading this article. It is preposterous to charge someone with a crime who was reasonably defending his property and himself from an armed drug addicted thug. This also made it much easier for the police to apprehend the thug since he was not fleeing from the scene either by foot or in a stolen car. This of course would have happened if the victim took Swampscott police officer Cassidy's advice and did nothing except call them while he watched his car being stolen right in front of him. I was encouraged to see that this sad incident made the editorial pages of the Boston Herald this morning where it has Officer Cassidy quoted as saying “We don’t urge anybody to (fight back),” he said. “We want them to call us.” I could not disagree more under the circumstances. I will be writing a letter to the chief of police soon enough challenging this ridiculous philosophy that leads to a docile and dependent citizenry. Drop the outlandish charges. The Swampscott Police should be embarrassed.

Anthony will go to his pretrial hearing next month (dismissal) and Christian, held without bail, will do his time -- meanwhile Anthony has to take time off from work to attend his hearing - (should have broken both jaws)

Captain McKay, the former Eagle Scout and now the crime fighting super hero who protects all of us in town from the dregs of society! In this adventure the mild mannered chior boy Anthony McKay calls police for help at 2:00 am from the quant Cherry Street section of town. Fearing that the Swampscott Police will ignore his call, he dawns his cape and becomes CAPTAIN MCKAY SUPER HERO and swoops in to protect the gentle unsuspecting residents of Cherry Street. Alas Captain McKay is shocked to find out that his neighbor's boyfriend (who he hardly knows and has no issues with) is a heroin addict. Just then the gaunt little drug addict comes at him in a "bladded stance" and Captain McKay does what any other red blooded American would do. He beats the guy to a bloody pulp and to within inches of his life. When the residents find out that Captain McKay has been arrested, they begin to write blogs about how horrible it is that the Captain was arrested.

Okay for real ask yourself this. If you had done the exact same thing as McKay, would you have been arrested? Would the police arrest any resident who did such a justifiied and honorable thing? What the heck is it about McKay that would cause him to get arrested in this altercation? I assume he has no criminal record, or past issues with police throughout the region...wait, oh that Anthony McKay, now I get it.

There has got to be more to this story. There simply has to be!

Oh, I forgot McGruff the Crime Dog says "leaving your tools in the bed of your truck on Cherry Street at 2:00 am is just asking for trouble...you know ASKING FOR TROUBLE! McGruff is lifting his leg on this one, because it does not past the smell test!

AMAZING! This should be on national TV....just another example of Massachusetts liberal politically correct attitude. This is a good example of why I have grown to LOVE the south....same situation here, you trespass my personal property and threaten my life you won't have to worry about a broken jaw, I'll just shoot you and I promise I won't be charged like Anthony was! Good Luck Anthony! Love You, your favorite Aunt

I agree Auntie... When I was in Vermont a neighbor I new slept with a gun hanging from her bed post. If this is what I have to look forward to for the future of my children I moving down with you. Anthony I will always be by your side family sticks together. It is not fair that you have to be punished for protecting what you worked hard for.

Love your Sister!!!!!!!

this is unbelievable that the victim is charged with assault!!! i'm a woman, and i would have clobbered ANYONE invading my personal property!!! good for anthony!!! i hope he has alot of people standing behind him. we should all rally for him.!!!!

Way to go Mr. McKay. I hope it works out well for you. My brother is a police officer and I work in public safety myself, so it's hard to say it but WTF Swampscott! You should be ashamed.

it seems they BOTH committed a crime.......let the judge have his say

There is so much more to this story than what is being said and posted. This guy is a "hero"??? If this kid was a heroin addict then you mean to tell me there was no other way to restrain him than breaking his jaw... sounds like assault to me. You are bashing the police that Obviously found a reason to charge this man. Guess he will have his day in court!!!