A Fitchburg Police Department officer shot a man yesterday morning after the individual allegedly pointed a firearm at the officer. The encounter occurred after police responded to a 911 call just after 9 a.m. alerting them to a shirtless man carrying a gun and heading towards Lunenburg Street, as reported by WCVB.
Upon arriving on the scene, the officer, attempting to deescalate the intensifying situation, exited his cruiser. During a confrontation that quickly escalated, the man then pointed the firearm directly at the officer, according to the police.
"When an officer encountered the man, he got out of his police vehicle and attempted to deescalate the situation, however, moments later the man allegedly aimed his gun toward the officer," according to NBC Boston. After the man allegedly aimed his gun toward the officer, said gun was discharged by the officer, who struck the man. Medical aid was immediately rendered to the injured man on-site by the involved officer, following the shooting.
The man, who was stable after the incident and had been making suicidal statements before the confrontation, was then transported by medical helicopter to a hospital, where his condition remains stable. Police, while confirming the status of the man on the scene, brought forth in a press release the fact that medical aid was started by the officer right after the incident, as stated by NBC Boston.
The Fitchburg Police Department has confirmed that the officer involved in the shooting has two years of service with the department and has been placed on administrative leave, which aligns with department policy for such incidents. Both the Massachusetts State Police and the Worcester District Attorney’s Office have taken the reins to investigate this police shooting further.
