Activist Bruce Wall's Son Is Crime Suspect

Reverend Bruce Wall has gone to great lengths to draw attention to the violence on the streets of this city. The last time he appeared on Bostonist, he had published a letter advising tourists not to visit Boston following the death of New York City resident Chiara Levin in February.

Wall is in the spotlight again for different reasons. The Globe reported today that his 15-year-old son is a suspect in an armed robbery in Hyde Park on November 9. Wall has stated his son wasn't involved, and the teen has not been charged. According to Adrian Walker, Wall said he called a press conference to discuss the situation because "word was getting around."

Wall has posted a statement on the blog for Global Ministries Boston. He declared that he and his wife are "working closely" with the BPD, but he maintains that the case against his son is circumstantial. In an interesting note, he mentions that the victim is the son of a Boston police officer and that "this cannot be about Bruce Wall and my differences of opinion from time to time with the police."

The incident might open Wall to accusations of, to use Dickens' phrase, "telescopic philanthropy," or paying so much attention to what was going on in his neighborhood that he wasn't minding his own house. But, if it is true, the news might suggest that not even vigilant parents can overcome the peer pressure that tempts young people to commit crimes. Then the story isn't about Wall at all but what teenagers go through every day when their parents aren't around.

Image of Bruce Wall from the Global Ministries Boston website. Wall's son has not been charged and is innocent until proven guilty.