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3 officers shot, suspect killed in Dorchester standoff
The shootings came after a six-hour standoff with a barricaded suspect on Ferndale Street.
Three Boston police officers were shot during an hours-long standoff in Dorchester on Tuesday. The suspect died when officers returned fire, police said.
Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long addressed reporters around 6:15 p.m. The incident began with a 911 call around 9:30 a.m., when officers responded to 29 Ferndale St. for a report of a person with a gun.
“Upon arrival, officers were informed the suspect had threatened people at the address with a firearm,” Long said. “The officers tried to engage the individual [but] the individual went into an apartment and barricaded himself.”
SWAT and Boston Police negotiators were called after the suspect barricaded himself in, and negotiations went on for “about five or six hours” in an attempt to get the suspect to surrender peacefully, Long said. In the afternoon, the suspect shot at officers who were inside the building attempting to negotiate, hitting three. Officers returned fire, striking the suspect, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on scene.
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The three officers were taken to Boston Medical Center, all with serious but non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Long wouldn’t confirm the exact nature of the wounds.
Long said the street is still an active crime scene.
Long and Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins noted the challenges police officers face on the job, recalling the recent spate of officer injuries as a result of lethal force. An officer was stabbed in the neck Saturday night when responding to a domestic violence call in Dorchester, The Boston Globe reported.
“This highlights the dangers the men and women of this department face every single day they put on this uniform,” Long said. “I can’t say enough about the professionalism, courage, and bravery the officers show every day.”
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Rollins spoke over a heckler as she attempted to share information with reporters.
“Emotionally disturbed people are everywhere, we have some right here with us, and there are police officers that get 911 calls,” Rollins said, pausing as the person continued to speak. “So, unfortunately, this is what we’re dealing with, and this is what law enforcement continues to deal with every day — people that are hurt.”
She confirmed her office would be conducting a “deep” investigation into the incident.
Earlier in the night, mayor-elect Michelle Wu tweeted sharing her prayers with the families of those injured and the community.
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