People violently took aim at police officers over the weekend in at least four Massachusetts cities in events police are describing as “street takeovers” for racing.

Multiple incidents, which occurred the first weekend of October, included setting a cruiser on fire in Boston , firing fireworks at a police cruiser in Randolph , driving a Dodge Charger at an officer in Middleborough and blocking an ambulance from getting through in Fall River .

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said the takeover events are “dangerous, intolerable assaults on our police officers and our neighborhoods.”

The “takeovers” have ended in property destruction, injuries and multiple arrests. But they’re also not new and have been a nationwide problem since 2020.

Here’s what we know.

What are st

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