Heroic Officers in Dorchester De Escalate Suicide by Cop Standoff, Saving Man Holding Gun to His Head

At about 1:30 AM, on Saturday, October 5th, 2024, Officers assigned to District C-11 (Dorchester) responded to a radio call for a Shot Spotter Activation at 216 Westville St. in Dorchester.

As Officers arrived at the intersection of Geneva Ave. and Westville St., they observed a man walking away from the location of the Shot Spotter activation. Officers approached him and attempted to speak with him, but he continued to walk away, ignoring Officers attempts to interact with him. As Officers walked closer towards the man, they observed the butt of a firearm protruding from the left pocket of his jacket. After spotting the firearm, Officers drew their firearms and commanded the man to stop and show his hands.

While Officers had him at gunpoint, the man became emotional and started to communicate his suicidal ideations with Officers. Officers recognized his fraught emotional state and started using de-escalation tactics in an attempt to disarm the man. It was at this time that the man removed the firearm from his pocket and aimed it at his own head.

Officers continued to use de-escalation tactics with the man, and after having a conversation with him, he dropped his firearm. Officers were able to arrest this individual, later identified as 24-year-old male from Dorchester, and he was treated at a local hospital before being processed without further incident.

Officers recovered a firearm and determined it to be a Glock 19 Gen 5 9×19 Parabellum. The firearm had no serial number on the lower portion, and was loaded with one (1) 9mm Luger round in the chamber, and twenty-five (25) 9mm Luger rounds in an extended magazine.

The 24-year-old male is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court for the charges of Carrying a Loaded Firearm Without a License, Unlawful Possession of a Loaded Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device.

For those who find themselves in need of emotional support or simply needing to talk to someone about the distressing events in our community, the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team (NTT) provides free, private support 24/7 at 617-431-0125.