A tense police siege at a Holyoke motel ended Thursday with a Connecticut man found dead inside a room, capping a multi-agency response that shut down part of Northampton Street and drew tactical units to the scene, authorities said. Officers established a perimeter around the property while crisis negotiators tried for several hours to reach the man. When state police tactical personnel finally went in, they found him suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The investigation remains active.
Surveillance Trail And Hartford Homicide Link
According to prosecutors, surveillance footage showed the man, later identified as 46-year-old Chad Petitpas of Uncasville, Connecticut, arriving at the motel and going into a room, and law enforcement confirmed he stayed inside. Investigators also said a 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander that Hartford police had been seeking in connection with a homicide was found at the motel, according to a Facebook post by Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.
State Police Negotiators And STOP Team Move In
The Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations (STOP) team and a crisis negotiation unit were called in, and negotiators established communication with Petitpas and stayed in contact for several hours. The agency maintains an on-call crisis negotiation capability that works alongside tactical teams during barricade and person-in-crisis calls, according to listings from the Massachusetts State Police.
Inside The Room: Fatal Wound And Firearm Recovered
Members of the STOP team entered the motel room in the afternoon and found Petitpas with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, and officers recovered a firearm at the scene, according to the district attorney’s post. The Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office, the Holyoke Police Department and the Hartford Police Department are jointly investigating the death, and officials say that work is ongoing.
Street Shutdown, Public Safety And Next Steps
During the standoff, authorities briefly closed a stretch of Northampton Street and kept a perimeter around the motel to protect the public while the situation unfolded. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hampden District Attorney’s Office or the Holyoke Police Department. General contact details for the DA's office are available via Mass.gov.
