In Jamaica Plain on Wednesday morning, a man was shot to death and gun shots were fired at a Boston police officer. Although the motives are unclear, two individuals have been detained pending the outcome of an investigation of their alleged roles in the incident.
According to the Boston Globe, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said that a man in his 20’s was fatally shot. He said the reasons are not clear yet, but the incident involved a man who drove into the neighborhood in a white van. Several other men under Roca, a Chelsea-based non-profit antiviolence program, were also in the vehicle.
“It originated out of a van. We are trying to piece together why this all took place in this location, which is a pretty quiet location,’’ Evans said. “It’s disturbing. I feel bad for the neighbors here. Bear with us, we have a very active investigation here. It’s a terrible tragedy.’’
A Boston police officer was in the neighborhood, helping with snow removal efforts, when he heard gunfire. When a suspect ran past him, he got out of his car and then the suspect starting firing several times at the officer.
The officer proceeded to chase the several suspects through snowy backyards. With the assistance of other officers, they was able to detain two of the men. Police are searching for at least one firearm.
Police did not shoot at the fleeing suspects, Evans said. “We are very fortunate he wasn’t injured,’’ Evans said of his officer. “Obviously, he did use a lot of restraint. I give him a lot of credit.’’
In an email, an area resident said he heard two or three gunshots around 10:30 a.m. He then went outside a few minutes later where he saw a man lying on the sidewalk.
Evans said the two men will be questioned by police, but have not yet been charged with any crime. “Hopefully, the two we have detained are responsible,’’ he said.
John Ward, Roca’s senior associate for development and policy, said they are working with investigators to figure out what happened. He declined to elaborate any further because it is an ongoing investigation.
The Boston Globe reported that Roca has a transitional employment program, part of which involves having contracts with local cities where work crews of young people doing everything from landscaping to cleaning. The program seeks to keep men out of prison. Those at the scene were there to assist with snow removal.
