A Wareham man allegedly fired a rifle at 2 officers, 2 civilians
“We had a very serious situation where two civilians and two police officers were in grave danger."
An incident involving an alleged trespasser Friday afternoon in Wareham led to two officers and two civilians being fired at by a man in possession of a rifle, according to the police department.No one was injured in the gunfire, and police were able to take a 40-year-old West Wareham man into custody in connection with the incident, police said in a news release.Gregory W. Schroth, of Reed Road, is being charged with four counts of assault with intent to murder, possession of a firearm without a firearms identification (FID) card, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, the release said. Schroth was held at the Wareham Police Headquarters on $50,000 bail; his arraignment was scheduled for Monday in Wareham District Court.
A rifle and ammunition confiscated by Wareham police.
“We had a very serious situation where two civilians and two police officers were in grave danger,” Wareham Police Chief John Walcek said in the release. “The positive outcome of this incident is the result of a disciplined and professional response by two of Wareham’s finest officers.”
Two officers were sent to County Road Recycling on County Road around 1:35 p.m. for a report of a man trespassing. The officers didn’t find the man when they performed a search upon arrival.
The officers were speaking to the complainants when three gun shots went off, and police “realized that they were all being fired upon,” the release said.
In heading to the area where the shots had come from, the officers saw a man carrying a rifle on Reed Road, according to the release. One of the officers ordered the man to drop the rifle, but he didn’t. The officer then pulled out his service weapon and demanded the man drop the rifle. The man reportedly still didn’t drop the rifle and walked toward a camper.
According to the release, the same officer then made his way to the man with his service weapon pointed at him and the other officer backing him up. Schroth then reportedly put the rifle down inside the camper door. Police arrested Schroth and took the rifle. They also found a box with 500 rounds of .22 caliber rifle ammunition, according to the release.
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