Prosecutor: Guns, coke, bags of pot found in Rev. Shaun Harrison’s home

By Antonio Planas
BostHerald
March 17, 2015

https://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/03/prosecutor_guns_coke_bags_of_pot_found_in_rev_shaun_harrison_s

SHOCKING CHARGES: The Rev. Shaun O. Harrison is arraigned on drug and weapons charges yesterday. He is also charged with shooting a student in the head.

A search warrant at the Rev. Shaun Harrison’s Roxbury home — executed three days after he allegedly shot a teen boy he mentored — turned up guns, nearly 30 grams of cocaine and bags of marijuana stored in a basement safe, a prosecutor said today.

Harrison, 55, was arrested March 4 for allegedly shooting a 17-year-old English High School student in the back of the head.

At his Roxbury District Court arraignment today, Harrison was held on an additional $150,000 cash bail for evidence seized during the March 6 search of his basement.

According to court documents, in the basement safe of Harrison’s home were: 29.5 grams of cocaine, four plastic marijuana bags, one Ruger .380, one Smith and Wesson revolver, and ammo including one spent shell casing from a .38.

Prosecutor David Bradley said the spent shell casing did not come from the firearm used to shoot the teen. He also said a previous search of Harrison’s home on a separate warrant turned up a rifle, shotgun, scales and other paraphernalia.

Harrison’s attorney Michelle Brennan called her client a “pillar of the community” and stressed he had a clean criminal record.

“Up until this incident, he’s had no issues with the law,” she said. “He’s got nothing but trying to help people his entire life.” She added the safe that was searched could have belonged to anyone because about 20 people lived in his building.

Harrison’s family members in court, including his sister and one of his sons, declined comment.

Harrison, a former associate minister at a Roxbury church and longtime anti-violence activist, also faces charges of armed assault with intent to murder and weapons charges. Authorities say he “execution style” shot the teen boy on a Roxbury street the night of March 3.

The teen told investigators he sold marijuana for Harrison, 55, an English High dean who promised him drugs and girls.

Harrison, a former associate minister at the Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church in Roxbury, was already being held on $250,000 bail following his arrest for the shooting.

He was fired from his English High School job following his arrest.