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“Hampden District Attorney Gulluni issued the result of his investigation into the Feb. 25, 2023 fatal shooting of William Tisdol in Springfield. The District Attorney’s investigation determined that Mr. Tisdol opened fire on two Massachusetts State Police Troopers who had approached to question him after he had threatened to shoot another man at the MGM casino.
The investigation found that the two Troopers returned fire, striking and killing Mr. Tisdol, in defense of their own lives and the lives and safety of others. Following District Attorney Gulluni’s announcement, the Massachusetts State Police issued the following statement.
“STATEMENT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE REGARDING HAMPDEN DISTRICT ATTORNEY GULLUNI’S REVIEW OF THE FEB. 25, 2023 TROOPER-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN SPRINGFIELD:
No Troopers go to work each day wanting to have to use lethal force, but nonetheless carry with them the knowledge that they may be required to do so in defense of their own lives, and the lives of the citizens they serve.
That is what happened in the pre-dawn hours of February 25th, when two Massachusetts State Troopers approached a suspect who had threatened to shoot a man during a dispute inside the MGM casino. The evidence clearly shows that the Troopers performed their duty that morning with courage and restraint, and in accordance with their training and Department policy. The Troopers used lethal force in response to being fired upon by a suspect who ignored repeated attempts to resolve the confrontation peacefully, and they fired their service weapons in defense of themselves and the surrounding community.
These facts are made clear through the meticulous and unbiased review of this incident by District Attorney Gulluni, and we recognize and appreciate his diligence in this regard. We are grateful, also, to the Springfield Police Officer, who is assigned with these Troopers to the Gaming Enforcement Unit, who also risked his own safety attempting to apprehend this hostile suspect during this confrontation.
“We appreciate the deliberate, thorough, and thoughtful investigation and review by District Attorney Gulluni’s Office,” State Police Colonel John Mawn Jr. stated. “We commend the professionalism and heroism of our Troopers and recognize the profound personal impact associated with the discharge of an officer’s firearm in the line of duty. We are grateful for their courage and comforted that their quick response prevented further loss of life.”-Massachusetts State Police.
