A Springfield man died of wounds he received when he was shot by a State Police trooper during a traffic stop.
SPRINGFIELD — A 23-year-old Springfield man was pronounced dead early Sunday after he was shot by a Massachusetts State Police trooper during an altercation at 12:20 a.m. A female passenger in the vehicle was treated for injuries and released.
A State Police spokesman, David Procopio said in a written statement that the man was shot when he either struggled with the trooper or as he drove his car at him. None of the people involved have been identified at this time.
According to the statement, the trooper stopped the suspect's vehicle in the southbound lane of I-91 near Exit 8. During the course of the stop, the male driver of the car became agitated and combative with the trooper. According to two versions of events provided by the State Police the suspect and the trooper struggled and that was when the shots were fired, or according to a later release, the suspect returned to his car and began to drive it, apparently toward the trooper, at which time he drew his weapon and fired.
The driver and his 22-year-old female passenger, also a Springfield resident, were transported to the Baystate Medical Center by ambulance. The male driver died of his wounds some time during the overnight hours. It is unclear if the woman was shot or injured by other means, but her injuries were relatively minor and she was treated and released from the hospital.
In the release Procopio wrote, "It would be inappropriate to comment on additional details, including the reason for the initial motor vehicle stop or the exact sequence of events that led to the trooper to fire his weapon."
The Hampden County District Attorney's Office will investigate the incident.
According to Procopio, the trooper is a 2012 graduate of the State Police Academy, and has been assigned to the Springfield Barracks. As is State Police policy, he has been placed on administrative leave.