Cop on leave in grandpa shooting
By Herald Staff | Friday, January 7, 2011 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
A Framingham SWAT team member yesterday was placed on administrative leave for fatally shooting a 68-year-old grandfather of 12, police said, as relatives struggled to cope with the sudden and violent death.
“I was shocked,” said grandson Andrew Wilkins, 23, of Springfield, who fondly recalled playing pickup basketball in Cambridge with Eurie Stamps. “I just didn’t understand what transpired. What exactly caused a situation like that to happen?”
Early Tuesday morning, police raided the home at 26 Fountain St. as part of a multiweek drug investigation and shot Stamps, who was not the target of the investigation, according to police reports. Two 20-year-old men were arrested on drug charges. No weapons were recovered at the scene.
Framingham police declined to release any details about the officer on leave.
“Our condolences are with Mr. Stamp’s family for the heartbreak they are understandably enduring, and we will await the findings of the investigation before taking any additional administrative action,” said Chief Steven B. Carl in a statement.
It will take three to four weeks “to determine the justifiability” of the shooting, and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office will release its findings in a statement, said DA spokeswoman Jessica Venezia Pastore. Until then, the office won’t release any more information, she said, including whether Stamps did anything to provoke the shooting.
On Tuesday, Framingham police brought at least 13 SWAT officers and multiple armed detectives to the 12:30 a.m. raid, said department spokesman Lt. Ron Brandolini.
Authorities said Stamps lived at the home with Joseph Bushfan, 20, and Bushfan’s mother, Norma. Joseph Bushfan was one of two targets in the raid, and police arrested him outside prior to storming the home, a police report said.
Police didn’t find the other target of the raid, Dwayne Barrett, 20, at the home, and as of late yesterday afternoon still hadn’t arrested him, Brandolini said. During the raid, however, they did arrest Devon Talbert, 20.
Both Bushfan — who had been out on bail for armed robbery and larceny — and Talbert pleaded not guilty to drug charges. Bushfan remained in custody yesterday. Talbert was released on personal recognizance. Neither man has any convictions on their records.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1307897
