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Western Mass Officer Shot In Head, Other Detectives Shot At In Separate Incidents; 7 Arrested

A Springfield officer is recovering from a serious but not life-threatening wound he was shot in the temple while driving to work Wednesday night, June 5. Multiple other officers were also shot at in other incidents around the city.  

Police tape

Police tape

Photo Credit: Canva/cglade

Seven people were arrested Wednesday following the shootings after multiple officers reported being fired on just after 10:30 p.m. 

Someone in a Honda Civic took a shot at members of the Springfield firearms investigation unit on College Street. A short time later, a person in a Jeep Cherokee fired a shot that struck an occupied unmarked police cruiser five times on State Street near Hunter Place, Springfield police said. 

An off-duty officer driving to work was shot by a suspect in a Jeep in the 600 block of State Street. Officers rushed them to Baystate Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, Springfield officials said. He was later taken to a Boston hospital for more care. 

The officer's name was also not released. But he has been with the department for seven years and was awarded the city's highest honor — the Medal of Valor — in 2023. 

Springfield police scoured the city looking for the shooters. They stopped the Civic on the I-91 on-ramp after it crashed into two Mass DOT workers. One of the workers was seriously injured. 

Officers found the Jeep at a home on Randall Place. 

Police arrested seven people and seized seven weapons in the shooting, including an AR-15 that is believed to be the weapon used to shoot the officer. 

Those arrested include: 

  • Robert Willis III, 18, of Springfield
  • Alberto Torres, 18, of Springfield
  • Unnamed 17-year-old boy from Springfield
  • Jamie Griffin, 31, of Springfield
  • Isak Font, 18, of Springfield
  • Dwight Clarke, 16, of Springfield
  • Unnamed 16-year-old boy from Springfield

Font, Clarke, and the 16-year-old are believed to have shot and wounded the officer, police said. 

It's unclear why they targeted officers. 

Springfield police are investigating the incidents.

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