EASTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A man shot by Easton police after brandishing a pellet gun at officers following a crash is being held without bail, officials said.
Officers responding to a report of suspicious activity on Bay Road about 2 p.m. spoke with a homeowner who said a man had just walked up to their house and knocked on their door, according to Easton Police Chief Gary Sullivan.
Serge Andre Jr., 29, of Hyde Park, sped away as officers arrived at speeds of up to 60 mph before crashing into another car at the intersection of Bay and Allen roads, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said.
The officers reportedly monitored the man but did not initiate a pursuit.
After he crashed into another car, the officers opened fire when Andre Jr. pointed what appeared to be a gun at them, Sullivan. He was hit at least one time.
Prosecutors say witnesses watched the suspect reach towards his waistband to what appeared to be a gun and heard him yell, “Kill me,” twice.
It was later determined that Andre Jr. was carrying a pellet gun.
“Pellet gun or not, in this day and age if someone brandishes a weapon, you have no choice but to ask them to drop it,” resident Stephen Lippert said. “If that’s the case and they do not, there are consequences that come with it.”
Easton police filed criminal complaints in Taunton District Court charging Andre Jr. with attempted breaking and entering, failure to stop for police, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license–subsequent offense.
A terrified Nancy Davenport, whose home was left riddled with gunfire, said she had to take cover in a bathroom with her two girls to avoid being hit by bullets that were whizzing through the wall.
“We saw the plaster from the wall blow through,” she said. “We hit the floor. We crawled into the bathroom at the back of the house and hid out in there.”
Neighbors are thankful no one was injured.
Lippert said, “I’m just glad everybody is OK because it could’ve gone horribly wrong on the other side.”
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