Dec. 30 (UPI) — A former deputy fire chief in southern Massachusetts is dead after being shot and killed by police, local officials have confirmed.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn told reporters on Friday that Paul Coderre, the former interim fire chief of New Bedford, Mass., was killed in an officer-involved shooting outside a bar in nearby Fairhaven, Mass., earlier that evening.
Quinn said police were responding a to call about an intoxicated man around 4:30 p.m., when Coderre, 55, drew a weapon, leading to an exchange of gunfire with police.
Officers from several surrounding municipalities including Fairhaven, Mattapoisett and Acushnet responded to the call. An officer from the Acushnet Police Department was hit in the leg by a bullet during the exchange of gunfire.
Quinn said the officer was later treated and released from hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Quinn told reporters that Coderre, originally from Dartmouth, Mass., had been drinking throughout the afternoon and was involved in an altercation inside the bar prior to the shooting. Police were called when Coderre was seen attempting to get into a vehicle.
“Police responded to the scene. He was in possession of a firearm,” Quinn said. “They attempted to speak to him and de-escalate the situation. Several attempts were made to use non-deadly force to subdue him, including the use of a Taser. Those attempts were not successful.
“At some point, he fired his gun. Police returned fire, and as a result of that, Paul Coderre died.”
The incident unfolded over multiple hours, and Quinn stressed to reporters that it appeared as though police tried multiple times to negotiate with Coderre.
“Several other means of de-escalation were used that were not successful. Police tried to talk to Mr. Coderre for a period of time. Several departments responded, so there were several attempts made to subdue him without using deadly force. He eventually fired his weapon.”
The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office will continue to investigate the case.
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell grieved shooting in a social media post.
“This evening’s fatal shooting in Fairhaven was tragic in every sense. I am relieved that the officer who was injured will make a full recovery, and that no one else was seriously hurt,” Mitchell, a former federal prosecutor, wrote on X.
