The Berkshire Eagle
WOBURN, Mass. — Investigators have determined that a Massachusetts state trooper who shot and killed a suspected drug dealer in February was justified in his use of force.
The Middlesex district attorney’s office said in a statement Wednesday it determined that Trooper Shawn McIntyre fired at the car to protect himself as it drove toward him.
McIntyre fired two shots, killing the driver, 21-year-old Roger Reyes Padilla.
Investigators say McIntyre, in plainclothes and driving an unmarked car, trapped the suspect’s vehicle in a cul-de-sac in Ashby and identified himself as a police officer. Padilla drove back and forth several times before driving toward McIntyre.
A state police spokesman said the department was pleased with the report’s conclusion.
Padilla’s brother had previously said his brother was unarmed and did not speak English.
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