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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
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Watertown man charged in attack at head shop

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Daniel H. Avery was “not happy with the products they were selling” at Tebb’s Headshop, 144 Eastern Blvd., so he made his feelings known with a baseball bat Tuesday morning, according to Watertown police.

About 10 a.m. Tuesday, Mr. Avery shattered the front door window and broke a display case and glass countertop and some merchandise in the store, police allege.

And Mr. Avery, 49, of 16896 Ives Street Road Extension, was very open about his actions — with police at the shop and with reporters Wednesday morning: his son, Justin, 24, was hospitalized Monday night after using “bath salts” purchased at the store, he said.

Trevor J. Harding, who had just opened the store, tried to flee by a rear door, but Mr. Avery cornered him. Instead of attacking Mr. Harding, the angry father demanded to use the phone, and it was Mr. Avery who called police, according to City Court documents.

Officers said that when they found Mr. Avery outside the store, he admitted to causing the damage inside because of what had happened to his son.

After being released without bail Wednesday by City Judge Eugene R. Renzi to await prosecution on two felonies, third-degree counts of criminal possession of a weapon and criminal mischief and a misdemeanor count of second-degree menacing, Mr. Avery spoke with reporters.

“I just went in there to get them to stop,” he said. “I’m not proud of what I did, but I don’t feel bad about it.”

He said that when he went into the store, he asked the clerk whether the store sold bath salts or glass cleaner, and the clerk responded by presenting him a variety of products and instructions on how to use them.

At that point, “I just snapped,” he said.

His daughter, Amber, told reporters that her brother developed an erratic heartbeat and a complete lack of control of his body. He even forgot his name and where he lived, she said.

Justin was taken to Samaritan Medical Center, where, she said, doctors told the family that if they had waited for 15 more minutes for the hospital run, “he likely would have died.”

In all, the loss at the shop was set at $639, police said. The weapon charge against Mr. Avery is lodged as a felony because he was convicted of third-degree burglary three decades ago.

He was granted representation by the county public defender’s office and was given an adjournment to Aug. 9.

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