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Man shot dead by Boston police during dispute is identified

The Boston man who was fatally shot Saturday by a police officer responding to a domestic violence call was identified by officials Tuesday, and, according to court records, the man had threatened to shoot police officers after a domestic dispute in 2011.

Remis M. Andrews, 38, was killed by police after he charged at officers while wielding knives, police said. The officers were responding to a home in the South End after a woman said her boyfriend had assaulted her, police have said.

It was the city’s first police-involved shooting of the year, according to the department. In 2013, Boston police shot six people, killing three.

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Raine Andrews, a sister of the deceased, said she was home when the shooting took place in her kitchen at 77 Lenox St. She said her brother, who was inside the house, was arguing with his girlfriend, who was outside.

She said Andrews became distraught and said his girlfriend called police and claimed he hit her, an accusation he denied.

Raine Andrews, 36, said her 13-year-old son opened the door for the police. Officers confronted Remis Andrews in the kitchen, and his sister said she heard things rumbling on the counter before shots were fired.

“I was like ‘please don’t shoot my brother,’ ” she said.

After being shot, Andrews was taken from the home, his sister said. Officers also took a block of knives from the kitchen counter, she added.

Raine Andrews said her brother was bipolar but did not take medication.

“Let me tell you, my brother would have hurt himself before he hurt anyone,” she said. “I think my brother was going to stab himself.”

She also said her brother was devoted to his 6-year-old daughter, Remi.

Court records show that Andrews was accused of threatening officers once before, promising to shoot them after they responded to a report of domestic violence in Allston on Sept. 21, 2011.

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In that incident, his girlfriend at the time, Caroleasa Hamlett, called 911 around 3 a.m. and reported that Andrews had kicked in the rear door and woke her up, according to a police report filed in Brighton District Court. Hamlett said Andrews was holding a bottle and had threatened to hurt her. She had described him as the father of her baby.

Officers arrested Andrews and put him in a police wagon, where he violently banged his head against the side of the wall, the report said. Emergency medical personnel then removed him from the wagon to check for injuries.

Andrews “was yelling at officers, stating that when he gets out he is going to shoot them,” the report said.

Hamlett applied for a restraining order, writing that she was afraid of Andrews.

But on Oct. 24, 2011, she sought to have the restraining order lifted, saying Andrews had never hurt her, court records show. Hamlett could not be reached Tuesday.

Andrews pleaded guilty in November 2011 to threatening to commit a crime, malicious destruction of property over $250, and a felony charge of breaking and entering a building at night, court records show. Prosecutors dropped a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.

He was given credit for serving 69 days of a suspended six-month jail sentence and ordered to complete two years of probation. Andrews was also ordered to complete a batterer’s program and to not abuse Hamlett.

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On Monday, people had scrawled messages in green chalk on the front door, entryway, stairs, and sidewalk, and also left cards, pictures, and candles outside of 77 Lenox St.

Police said the department’s firearms discharge investigation team and Suffolk prosecutors were investigating the shooting.


Correspondent Todd Feathers contributed to this report. Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com.