Brockton-area lawmakers, law enforcement call for tougher sentences for anyone convicted of pointing a gun or shooting at a police officer

BROCKTON - The suspects accused of leading police on a 13-mile chase into Quincy and firing at the pursuing cruisers were sitting in the cell at police headquarters shortly after their arrest.

A few feet away, the officers could hear them chuckling.

“They were laughing about it in the jail cell,” Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said.

The getaway driver and the gunman that night would later receive sentences of less than five years, time law enforcement officials say was a slap to the police officers who risked their lives catching the suspects.

“The fact that they can actually have the attitude that they can shoot at police officers, laugh and get away with it is outrageous,” Cruz said.

Now, lawmakers are eyeing a bill that would send anyone convicted of pointing or shooting a firearm at a police officer to prison for 10 years.

The bill, filed by state Rep. Vinny deMacedo, R-Plymouth, so far has the support of 25 legislators, state prosecutors and police chiefs in the region.

“The criminals are becoming more and more brazen,” deMacedo said. “We have to stand up and do whatever we can to protect them.”

Police officers, lawmakers and the district attorneys from Plymouth, Worcester and the Cape and Islands met at the Brockton police station Monday to unveil the new bill and press for its passage.

“The thin blue line will probably be getting thinner in the days ahead because of the economy,” Brockton Police Chief William Conlon said. “We can’t afford to let our officers be used as target practice.”

State Sen. Michael Brady, D-Brockton, said he expects the bill to garner more support and eventually pass.

“This bill is a no-brainer,” Brady said.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early shared that sentiment. “There is nothing better than legislation like this,” he said.

Michael O’Keefe, the district attorney for the Cape and Islands, said tougher penalties will send a clear message to young gunmen. “Pulling a gun on a police officer, your punishment will be sure,” he said.

The mandatory sentence is needed to prevent judges from giving those who shoot at police officers light sentences, Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald Jr. said.

Cruz said it will also keep the public safe.

“If you choose to go after the police who are protecting us, there is going to be a very significant price to pay. .... They need to be removed from our community.

In the case that sparked the legislation, a woman was shot in the foot last year on Highland Street by gunmen in Brockton who then led police on a 13-mile chase from Brockton to Quincy, firing upon two of the cruisers along the way. The suspects crashed on Newport Avenue in Quincy.

Two of the suspects pleaded guilty Jan. 14 — slightly over a year after the incident. One received a 2-to-3-year prison term, the second received a 4-to-5-year term. The third suspect is awaiting trial. Dozens of police officers filled the courtroom at the time to protest the sentences.

Conlon said there have been three cases within a year where officers had been fired upon and he fears there could be more if the laws aren’t tightened to deter the gunmen.

“It seems to be a case that is growing more and more commonplace,” he said.

March 9, 2009
The Enterprise/Wicked Local Brockton.com

by Maureen Boyle

Maureen Boyle can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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