From: Carrie Kimball Monahan
Director of Communications
Essex District Attorney’s Office
July 16, 2015
ESSEX DA’S OFFICE RELEASES IDENTITY OF OFFICER INVOLVED IN SHOOTING
The Essex District Attorney’s Office is releasing the name of the police officer involved in Monday’s police-involved shooting on Jefferson Street in Lynn. The officer is Lynn Police Detective Stephen Emery, an 18-year veteran of the police force and is assigned to the Drug Task Force.
The Essex District Attorney’s Office is still investigating the shooting to determine if Detective Emery lawfully fired his weapon at a motor vehicle driven by Rafael Suazo, 23, of Boston. According to the initial investigation, Detective Emery was walking toward Suazo’s motor vehicle on Jefferson Street when Suazo drove toward Detective Emery, striking him and knocking him to the ground. The detective fired a single shot through the windshield of Suazo’s car, striking him in the head. Detective Emery was taken by ambulance to Salem Hospital and was treated and released. Suazo was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital where he died later that evening.
Sharona Landy, 32 and Vinchenzo Pintone, 33, both of Peabody, who allegedly purchased heroin from Suazo on Rock Avenue, immediately before the shooting, were arraigned in Lynn District Court yesterday. They are each charged with one count of Possession of Class A. Judge Ellen Flatley ordered both defendants to remain drug-free and to return to court on August 27, 2015 for a Pre-Trial Hearing.
District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett assigned Essex Assistant District Attorney and Superior Court Trial Team Director Jay Gubitose to lead the investigation. The Essex District Attorney’s Office will release the findings of its investigation upon completion.
“Whenever a police officer uses lethal force, the public is entitled to a thorough and transparent investigation,” District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said. “This is a painstaking process that takes time. When it is completed, our finding will be available to the media after we have shared them with Mr. Suazo’s family.
