A carjacking suspect who allegedly stabbed a car dealership employee in New Hampshire before taking off in a stolen BMW died in an officer-involved shooting near a gas station in Newbury, Massachusetts, officials said Sunday night.
Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett says they believe the suspect stole multiple vehicles in two states in just two days, including in Boston and Lowell, before stealing a BMW from the Tulley Dealership in Nashua where he allegedly stabbed an employee with a knife.
New Hampshire State Police issued a BOLO (be on the lookout) for the stolen BM X5, but the stolen vehicle's on board tracking system helped officials track the BMW to the Prime Gas Station on Central Street in the Byfield area of Newbury.
State and local police responded to the area around 6 p.m. Sunday for the reported armed car theft.
Responding officers, who were aware the suspect was armed and had stabbed someone in Nashua, boxed him in with their vehicles. As they approached the suspect, Blodgett says the 31-year-old man attempted to escape by ramming the stolen BMW into state and local police cruisers.
Blodgett says officers exited their cruisers and asked the suspect to get out of the car.
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At that time, "a weapon or weapons was discharged by an officer or more than one officer," according to Blodgett. "That's yet to be determined."
Blodgett says first aid was immediately performed on the suspect before he was taken by ambulance to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport, where he was pronounced dead. Officials have not identified him.
No police officers were injured in the incident, according to initial reports from authorities.
Terri Bowes witnessed the incident and recalled the chaotic scene.
"I heard what I thought was a gunshot, I looked out my window and I was like holy s***, there's a lot of cops over there and I saw the cops running around," she said. "It was scary because then my neighbor texted me and said, 'what's going on over there?' and I said, 'I don't know. I thought I heard a gunshot.' And she said, 'yeah, we did, too.'"
Bowes said she saw three ambulances show up before they put crime scene tape up.
The neighborhood is still on edge following the fatal shooting.
"It was scary, really scary," one woman said.
Blodgett says the Tulley employee who was stabbed was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and later released Sunday.
A knife was found in the stolen BMW, according to Blodgett.
Blodgett said an elderly victim was being interviewed Sunday in connection to one of the suspect's alleged carjackings.
The Newbury crime scene remained active late Sunday night as it was still being processed. This investigation is active and ongoing.
