Members of the Springfield Police Department's Firearms Investigation Unit (FIU) arrested a suspect linked to a shooting in Wilbraham last Tuesday. According to Springfield Police Department news release, 29-year-old Michael Murdock was taken into custody following a traffic stop on Tinkham Road at 3:25 p.m., with officers recovering a loaded firearm magazine, cocaine, and cash from his vehicle.
The arrest came after an investigation stemming from a May 29 event, where Wilbraham police officers responded to reports of shots fired on Springfield Street at approximately 11:50 p.m. An occupied vehicle was found to have been hit by gunfire, and subsequent inquiries led to the identification of Murdock as a suspect. From there, Wilbraham officers applied for and obtained an arrest warrant from the Palmer District Court in July.
On Tuesday, as FIU Detectives initiated the traffic stop leading to Murdock's arrest, they also found that Murdock was driving on a suspended license. The items seized included a loaded firearm magazine, 4.5 grams of cocaine, and over $600 in cash according to the Springfield PD's account of the incident.
Murdock was expected to face arraignment in Springfield District Court on Wednesday on multiple charges. The suspect, hailing from Springfield, faces allegations including possession with the intent to distribute a Class B drug and possession of ammunition without an FID card, as well as a host of charges from the Palmer District Court's arrest warrant including attempted murder and assault & battery with a firearm.
