SPRINGFIELD Police shot a suspect accused of trying to mow down an officer while driving a stolen car Wednesday morning.
The suspect, who has not been named, was shot in the elbow. He was treated at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for his injuries and then released to the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, Police Superintendent Cheryl C. Clapprood said.
The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol. Names of the officers and the suspect have not been released yet, she said.
The shooting is under investigation by the Detective Bureau under the direction of Capt. Trent Duda with the cooperation of Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gullunis office, she said.
I have reviewed the body cameras and, so far, it looks OK. It looks justified, Clapprood said. All Springfield officers now wear body cameras while they are working on the streets.
The incident began with a police pursuit of a stolen car which was called off for safety reasons and then resumed when the car was spotted again. At about 7:20 p.m. the suspect pulled into a driveway on Woodside Terrace and police blocked his exit, she said.
The driveway was not his own and the residents gave witness statements about the shooting, Clapprood said.
The suspect refused commands to exit the vehicle and then backed up striking at least one cruiser that had boxed him in. He tried to play bumper cars and then drove across the lawn to try to escape the blockade, she said.
During his attempt to get past the cruisers, the suspect allegedly drove directly at police. The officer shot him to keep him from injuring a fellow officer, she said.
At the time of the shooting, the suspect was not under control of police and a danger, she said.
The charges the suspect faces have not been released yet. Police officials said they will release more information as soon as the investigation allows.
The last time a police officer shot at a suspect was on Jan. 9 when Officer Arjel A. Falcon shot and killed Orlando Taylor III at about 8:45 a.m. after Taylor stabbed him in the face during a confrontation on Genesee Street. Gullunis office determined the shooting was reasonable and unavoidable.