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Jose Montanez, age 43, of Springfield was apprehended around 7:25 p.m., Sunday, June 20,
Montanez, who is well-known to police, was arrested after officers responded to the 0-100 block of High Street for a ShotSpotter Activation indicating five rounds of gunfire, said Ryan Walsh, spokesman for the Springfield Police Department.
When officers arrived Montanez began fleeing, as is seen in but continued to point his firearm in the direction of officers and bystanders.
Responding officers immediately observed that the firearm’s slide was locked in the rear, which typically indicates that a firearm is out of ammunition or unable to be fired unless the slide moved forward, Walsh said.
Montanez briefly drops his firearm at one point but immediately retrieves it from the ground. Officers also observed an additional magazine in Montanez’s waistband.
Montanez continued evading officers and ran out of view of the city camera. He ran to the back of the high school on State Street where he allegedly tossed his firearm on school property before being taken into custody by responding officers without further incident.
Officers recovered a second magazine in Montanez’s waistband. The firearm recovered was reported stolen out of Ludlow, Walsh said.
There were no injuries reported and no property damage located as a result of the incident however shell casings were recovered in the area of the scene.
“The outcome of this call is a huge credit to all of the officers on scene who showed incredible and courageous restraint in this situation, and, due to their keen observation during a fast-moving incident, were able to avoid an officer-involved-shooting, said Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood said.
Montanez was charged with:
- Carrying a firearm without a license
- Carrying a loaded firearm without a license
- Discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building
- Two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon
- Carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds
- Possession of ammunition without an FID Card
- Receiving stolen property less than $1200
- Disturbing the peace
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