Boston police officer shot multiple times, state police speak to dangers of policing

BOSTON, (WLNE) — Police in Boston are reminding the public of the dangers police officers face on the front lines after an officer was shot multiple times on Friday night.

Boston police Commissioner Michael Cox told WCVB Channel 5 on Saturday that the officer, whom he did not identify, was recovering at Boston Medical Center and that he is expected to survive.

A police report states the shooting happened at around 9:18 p.m. Friday in the area of 44 Cedric St., where the officer was on patrol when he spotted a man pointing a gun at a Domino’s delivery driver. That officer had identified the armed man as a suspect who had robbed a Domino’s delivery driver at gunpoint Wednesday night at the same Cedric Street address, according to the report.

The suspect was identified as 23-year-old John Lazare, of Brockton, in the police report. The report states Lazare fired several gunshots at the officer as he approached him and that he ran into the building at 44 Cedric St. afterward.

A multitude of officers then responded to the area and the officer who was shot was placed in another officer’s police cruiser and transported to Boston Medical Center, where he was treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, the police report states.

During their search for Lazare, officers found him on the rooftop of a nearby building, according to the police report. The report goes on to state that the officers gave chase and Lazare then jumped from the roof, landing in a nearby alleyway and injuring his leg.

The police report states Lazare was coaxed out of the alleyway at riflepoint by Massachusetts State Police troopers and then immediately taken into custody by Boston police. Lazare was then transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to have his self-inflicted leg injury evaluated.

A firearm and a 9mm shell casing were found on the first floor of the building by the main doorframe of the entrance to 44 Cedric St., according to the incident report. That gun, a Smith & Wesson 9mm that was stolen from Vermont, had one round in the chamber and 10 rounds in the magazine, the police report states.

Hayden confirmed Lazare will be arraigned Monday morning in Roxbury District Court on a number of firearms-related charges, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon.

The police report states Lazare is facing the following charges: assault and battery with a firearm, armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, possession of a large-capacity firearm and receiving stolen property.

“We are grateful for the strong partnership we share with our brothers and sisters at the Boston Police Department. Our agencies share a special bond,” Colonel Jack Mawn with Massachusetts State Police said.

“We both have long, proud, and distinguished histories. Members of the Boston Police and the MSP are united in the qualities of service and sacrifice, in a determination to fulfill our missions amid, oftentimes, especially complex, sensitive, and challenging circumstances,” he continued.

“Through May 31 of this year, 166 officers have been shot in the line of duty across our nation, 20 of them fatally,” Col. Mawn said.