NEWTOWN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — UPDATE 5:45 p.m.: Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan has confirmed the identity of the man shot by police in Newton yesterday as Michael Conlon, 28, of Newton.
A suspect, allegedly armed with a knife, is dead after being shot by Newton Police with a beanbag shot gun Tuesday afternoon.
Police said they were responding to reports of a robbery at a business on Lincoln Street shortly before 1:45 p.m. when they found a suspect in possession of a knife.
The 28-year-old man, who lived on another floor of the building, allegedly fled upstairs. Police followed him and called additional police officers and a clinician with mental health expertise for backup.
Massachusetts State Police also arrived at the scene and used a taser on him, but did not manage to subdue him. It was then that Newton Police used “less than lethal force with a beanbag shot gun,” according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
“Several officers were taken to the hospital. No officers have sustained serious injuries during that incident,” DA Ryan said. “The name of that individual who was shot is being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.”
State Police Col. Christopher Mason said police tried to avoid this outcome.
“Numerous de-escalation attempts were made. There was an attempt to slowdown the pace of the incident. There was also an attempt to utilize [less than lethal] use of force tactics,” Mason said. “Unfortunately, none of those were successful and the officers were forced to do what they ended up doing.”
The incident is currently under investigation.
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