New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“New Bedford police were conducting a wellness check on a suicidal male when shots were suddenly fired.
“On July 2nd at 11 pm, patrol units responded to “King Village East” apartments to check the welfare of a tenant who had made suicidal threats. Numerous attempts to contact the male were unsuccessful, however, management soon arrived on the scene to unlock the door.
As police entered the apartment, a shot was fired which penetrated several walls and nearly struck the officers present. As the officers took cover, a second shot rang out. Tenants in the surrounding apartments were evacuated and a call was made to activate the SEMLEC (South-Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council) special reaction team, of which NBPD officers are members. The team utilized a robot to breach the apartment doors and conduct reconnaissance. Upon doing so, it was learned the tenant was deceased from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
New Bedford police detectives and Massachusetts state police detectives assigned to CPAC are further investigating the incident.
“I’m thankful that all the officers who responded to the call last night are safe. This incident is an example of the dangers police officers face on a regular basis as they are called up to navigate extremely volatile situations.”-Chief Paul Oliveira.
