Massachusetts § 177 Police assistance in protecting property; non-residents assisting with arms; liability in damages

Massachusetts Statutes

§ 177 — Police assistance in protecting property; non-residents assisting with arms; liability in damages

Massachusetts § 177

Part IADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT

Title XXILABOR AND INDUSTRIES

This text of Massachusetts § 177 (Police assistance in protecting property; non-residents assisting with arms; liability in damages) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 177 (2026).

Text

Section 177. A person may, if his property is in danger, call upon the regular police authorities in the commonwealth for assistance in its protection, and this and the preceding section shall not limit or diminish such right; but no person shall request or authorize any person or body of persons not residents of the commonwealth, except regular employees, to assist such person with arms in the defence of his property, and no such request or authority shall justify an assault or attack with arms by a non-resident. Whoever, being an employer of labor, requests or authorizes assistance in violation of this section, and whoever renders such assistance with arms, shall be severally liable in damages to each person injured in person or property thereby.

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Section 177. A person may, if his property is in danger, call upon the regular police authorities in the commonwealth for assistance in its protection, and this and the preceding section shall not limit or diminish such right; but no person shall request or authorize any person or body of persons not residents of the commonwealth, except regular employees, to assist such person with arms in the defence of his property, and no such request or authority shall justify an assault or attack with arms by a non-resident. Whoever, being an employer of labor, requests or authorizes assistance in violation of this section, and whoever renders such assistance with arms, shall be severally liable in damages to each person injured in person or property thereby.