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Mass. officer shot in the face, suspect caught

By O’Ryan Johnson
Boston Herald

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — A five-year veteran of the Framingham Police Department was shot at least once last night in the face and cops were still hunting for a suspect this morning, police said.

Police say Officer Phillip Hurton was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after being shot in the face and the arm while confronting two suspects outside a convenience store at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

The seriousness of Hurton’s injuries was not immediately released.

Lt. Paul Shastany says the suspects fled the area, sparking a manhunt that included officers from the state police, several other area departments, and dog units.

One suspect was subsequently captured. He was identified as 22-year-old Josiah Sahr of Framingham. The second suspect remains at large.

The shooting happened on Beaver Street in Framingham where a resident told the Herald he heard between four and five gunshots around 10 p.m.

There was no information immediately available on whether the officer was wearing body armor. Framingham police set up a command post on Beaver Street last night and state police K-9 units had joined the search for the suspects.

A Beaver Street resident, who declined to give his name, said he thought the gunshots were fireworks.

“We were watching television and heard four or five pops. I was going to keep watching and somebody said, ‘That was fairly loud.’ So I looked outside and saw all the police cars there.”

Copyright 2009 Boston Herald