A Middlesex County choose cleared a Lexington police officer of fatally capturing 37-year-old Brendan Reilly in February 2022 after Reilly charged with a raised knife at one other officer who had slipped and fallen to the bottom.
Judge Michael Brennan that discovered Lexington Police Officer Joseph Carruthers had “no reasonable alternative” besides to shoot Reilly, who was operating in the direction of Officer Steven Papia with a knife, in accordance with a press release from Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
“The court further finds that when Lexington Police Officer Joseph Carruthers fired his weapon, the situation had escalated to the point where a reasonable law enforcement officer in the same position would reasonably believe that Papia, as well as his fellow officers and others in the area, were in imminent danger of being seriously injured or killed. No reasonable alternative existed except the use of deadly force,” Brennan wrote in a 24-page ruling.
Court officers heard testimony from 36 witnesses, accepted greater than 109 reveals, and carried out an in-person go to to the scene, Ryan mentioned in a press release.
Reilly, in accordance with Judge Brennan’s report, didn’t adjust to officers’ instructions and commenced “threatening to kill” them whereas armed with a knife. Reilly swung the knife of their path, in accordance with the report.
Police used non-lethal weapons “to attempt to make Reilly comply with their orders and to protect themselves and the many members of public in the immediate area,” in accordance with the report.
“A reasonable officer’s perception of Reilly would be that his continued assaultive and threatening behavior was potentially harmful to the officers and others and that failure to stop or control Reilly placed the officers and others at substantial risk of bodily harm,” the report mentioned.
Officer Paipa later slipped and fell through the incident, the report mentioned.
“When Papia slipped and fell, Reilly sprang to his feet and charged at Papia with his knife raised and with what a reasonable person would believe was an intention to stab and potentially kill Papia,” the report mentioned.
Carruthers then shot and killed Reilly and as Reilly ran in the direction of Papia, in accordance with the report.
“This Court finds that Carruthers fully complied with the use of force policy and the totality of the circumstances of Feb. 12, 2022 support Carruthers’ decision to use deadly force,” the report mentioned.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”