The judicial inquest report on the fatal police shooting of Brendan Reilly, aged 37, in Lexington has been released, offering fresh insights. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan declared that the report, released on November 18th, 2023, states that Judge Michael Brennan deemed the shooting legally justified, as per the District Attorney's press release.
Moving onto February 12, 2022, when Reilly was shot by Lexington Police Officer Joseph Carruthers and subsequently died. The purpose of the inquest was to understand if the fatal shooting resulted from an unlawful act, or whether it was legally justified. It also examined if less-lethal munitions used and non-lethal injuries sustained by Reilly were legally justified or resulted from unlawful acts.
Breaking with precedent, Middlesex County chose a judicial inquest, instead of an internal investigation led by the District Attorney’s Office. Implemented for the increased transparency and neutrality in police officer-involved death cases, as stated by the District Attorney's Office.
Judge Brennan's report indicated Reilly posed a Level 4 threat when ignoring officers' orders, threatening their lives, and brandishing a knife. Officers Steven Papia and John Frissori were justified in using less-lethal force, as detailed in the report. However, Officer Carruthers had to resort to lethal force when Reilly attacked the fallen Officer Papia, intending to stab him. Carruthers' response to a Level 5 threat complied with use of force policy, and the court accepted District Attorney Ryan's findings.
