QUINCY, MASS. (WHDH) - A 20-year-old man suspected of killing a Weymouth police officer and an elderly woman has been ordered held without bail at the Dedham House of Corrections.
Emanuel “Manny” Lopes, of Brockton, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder at his arraignment Tuesday afternoon in Quincy District Court. He is charged with fatally shooting 42-year-old Weymouth police officer Michael Chesna and 77-year-old Vera Adams.
Emergency officials responding to a reported disturbance on Burton Terrace about 8 a.m. found Chesna suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to South Shore Hospital, where he later died.
Chesna was pursuing Lopes on foot after he fled the scene of a crash near South Shore Hospital when he found the suspect vandalizing a home, according to police. Lopes threw a “large rock” roughly half the size of a basketball at Chesna from about 10 feet away, knocking him to the ground, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Greg Connor told the court.
Lopes proceeded to commandeer Chesna’s firearm, stood over him and fired about 10 rounds at his head, legs, and torso, court documents indicated.
When Weymouth officer Sean Murphy responded to the scene, he found Lopes holding Chesna’s gun and fired at him, striking him in the leg, police said.
Lopes fled toward nearby Torrey Street, where he fired three rounds through Adams’ picture window, hitting her as she stood in her sunroom, according to prosecutors.
Lopes was taken into custody in the area of 100 Torrey Street with Chesna’s firearm in hand, police said. The weapon was said to be empty and evidence suggests Lopes fired “15 or 16” rounds in total.
A court psychologist said Lopes disagreed with the homicide charges against him but understood them. He was declared competent for arraignment.
Connor asked the judge that Lopes be held without bail. Lopes’ attorney asked that his client undergo a mental evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital due to a long history of psychiatric disorders.
Lopes had been out on $500 bail after being arrested for selling cocaine to minors last October, according to court documents. He is also facing vandalism charges after allegedly throwing a rock through a man’s bedroom window last September.
Lopes’ mother had an active restraining order against him, claiming he had “severe mental health issues” and that she was “afraid of what he is capable of.”
His cousin, Alex Barnette, told 7News that he had recently graduated from Weymouth High School with good grades and was heading to college but has since been in and out of homelessness.
Chesna was an Army veteran and a six-year veteran of the department, who was married with two children, ages 4 and 9, Weymouth Police Chief Rick Grimes said.
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Lopes also pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of a firearm without an FID card, malicious destruction of property, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage.
He is due back in court on Aug. 15 for a probable cause hearing.
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