At approximately 9am Thursday morning, a Mass State Trooper attempted to stop a vehicle that he witnessed traveling at a high rate of speed on Burgin Parkway. "The trooper activated his blue lights and siren, at which point the suspect vehicle continued speeding down Burgin Pkwy," Lt. Colonel Francis Matthews said during a press conference at the Neponset Rotary. "After a check of the vehicle's registration showed the car was stolen, a short chase ensued and the vehicle was lost in the area of Sea St." The South Boston Barracks of the State Police then received a 9-1-1 call reporting an erratic operator on the Neponset Bridge. Two Troopers working a construction detail at the Neponset rotary observed the car traveling towards them. As they motioned for the driver to stop the car, he attempted to make a U-turn and struck one of the troopers. "The troopers opened fire with their service weapons." said Lt. Colonel Matthews. The suspect vehicle was struck three times in the passenger side. "It is not known at this time if anyone inside the vehicle was hit by the gunfire," said Lt. Colonel Matthews. The vehicle then continued onto Galvin Blvd, traveling on the wrong side of the road. According to Major Thomas Grenham, "Trooper Scott Flaherty has been taken to Mass General Hospital to be treated for injuries to his ankle, wrist, back, and neck. He will be admitted overnight for treatment."
The reports of a trooper struck and shots fired sparked a massive manhunt that led members of the State Police and Boston Police through the streets of Dorchester searching for the two suspects that were in the car. The suspect vehicle was quickly located on Dyer St after the suspects had stopped and fled on foot. Officers used K-9s and two State Police helicopters to search the nearby neighborhoods. At one point, the K-9 officers were following a scent trail that led them onto the nearby MBTA tracks. During the search, train service was temporarily halted so that officers could safely follow the trail along the tracks that run along Norfolk St. During the manhunt, police had a possible ID on both suspects. Multiple homes in the area were surrounded by police while they continued searching throughout the morning. The State Police S.T.O.P. team was called in to assist in the case that any homes needed to be searched. The southbound lanes of the Neponset Bridge and two lanes of Galvin Blvd were closed while the State Police investigated the shooting. The incident remains under active investigation by the Massachusetts State Police.
