Robbery suspect shot and killed by state trooper identified

QUINCY, Mass. (AP) — Authorities in Massachusetts have identified an armed robbery suspect who stole a police cruiser and was shot and killed by state police.

Eric Leach, 36, with past addresses in Brockton and Winthrop, was shot Friday morning in Quincy, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said late Friday.

The use of deadly force by the state trooper, whose name has not be released, remains under investigation, the office said.

The string of events that led to the deadly shooting started at about 7 a.m. when authorities say Leach robbed a Rockland convenience store.

At some point as police searched for him, Leach stole a police cruiser and led officers on a pursuit that through a number of communities before ending in Quincy.

Morrissey said Leach initially refused to get out of the car. He was shot at about 11 a.m. after exiting the cruiser with a police rifle and refusing several orders to drop it.

Leach received first aid on the scene and was taken to the hospital, where he died.

The standoff led to the shutdown of several streets and the suspension of both Red Line and commuter rail services located nearby.