Trooper injured in shootout with suspected cop killer recounts his recovery
In his nine years with the Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations Team, Trooper A.J. Kardoos had forced his way into hundreds of homes, seeking out barricaded suspects.
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Few of those suspects, though, were wanted for allegedly killing a cop hours earlier.
Still, Kardoos, 43, and his teammates readied themselves for another run. Over a period of hours on May 22 outside the duplex at 31 and 33 Watch St. in Oxford, troopers asked Jorge Zambrano to come out peacefully. They tried to gas him out, before sending in dogs and robots, then themselves.
They eventually found Zambrano, who early that Sunday morning shot and killed Auburn Police Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr. during a traffic stop, according to authorities. He’d crawled through a hole into the house next door. When they got to an upstairs bedroom, Zambrano, hidden in a closet, let his pit bull loose, then started firing, authorities said.
The first shot hit Kardoos in his left armpit — just missing his protective vest. He scrambled out as his teammates opened fire, killing Zambrano.
For the first time Monday, state police publicly identified Kardoos as the trooper who was shot.
Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr.
As Major Richard Prior detailed that day’s events, Kardoos, dressed in a suit and tie, clenched and released his left fist. He used his right arm to lift his left, cradling it. He explained how the bullet shattered his humerus — the long bone in the upper arm. Now, his only job is to heal.
He doesn’t have a timeline, but he wants to get back to the tactical team whenever he can. That, and maybe play golf again before the summer is over.
With Kardoos and his teammates that day were tactical EMS medics from UMass Memorial Hospital, who accompany the team on all their runs. They rendered first aid to Kardoos — and then to Zambrano.
“Having them on scene was huge,” Kardoos said.
Just five days after the shootout, Kardoos left the hospital to attend Tarentino’s funeral. His teammates were by his side again, this time helping him get dressed and knot his tie.
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